Life as a Snake
by FairyTails13
Summary: What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? After some unfortunate events, Harry is now a Snake. How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now? Or does he want to? Dark!Harry LVxHP Chapters 1-6 Edited
1. A terrible day

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n:** Here I go again, I've been pondering this plot for some time now and finally decided to write it before it escapes me. I am starting Chapter six now, as I refused to post it until that point. Please enjoy my story.

**Chapter:** The terrible day

Harry wanted to cry out to the world just how horrible his life is as the events of the day finally squeezing down on him.

First, no one was there to pick him up from the train station. He was there long after everyone left. Thankfully the Weasleys had taken Hedwig with them so he wasn't sitting there getting odd looks from passers, drawing unwanted attention to himself.

At about eleven he finally gave up on sitting there and called on a cab. The trip was quiet, and thankfully the man did not ask any questions about a sixteen year old riding home in the middle of the night and just drove.

Secondly, when he finally got to his family's house and unlocked to door, he discovered why they hadn't picked him up.

They had moved, without telling him. Of course, they probably moved because of him.

Everything was gone, all the furniture, and you could tell that all the walls had been repainted. He had dropped his bags in the doorway, running up the stairs to his room. Even that had been left bare, the closet hanging slightly open. They had probably burned everything he had ever touched.

He wanted to scream so badly, but held it in with effort.

His first instinct was to owl Dumbledore, but squashed down those thoughts knowing he would truly snap if he so much as glanced that those maddening, twinkling blue eyes and that all-knowing smile.

Even so, he did not have Hedwig to which to owl _anyone_.

Thirdly, his cab driver had not left yet, and ended up not being as good of heart as Harry had imagined him to be.

The man had sneaked in the house after Harry, noticing the lights coming on in an empty house. He had forced Harry up against the wall with an evil smirk upon a face disfigured by the man's life, but did not and could not recognize a wizard trained for battle on the brink of snapping.

At the time, Harry did not care if the ministry stormed in; it was the last thing on his mind in that moment. All he knew was there was a man trying to take advantage of him.

His wand was in his hand the second he called it, a spell on his lips. It was a very dark curse left the end of his holly wand, and feeling such darkness made Harry's blood rush with adrenaline, and he could not help the dark glint in his swirling green eyes.

The man did not die, but he would, the cuts on his body being too deep and severe to be helped even if Harry wanted to help him. A whole year of reading forbidden text by candle light came to him and he knew he had to leave, the thought of Veritaserum being used on him made him act quickly.

He had left the man laying there, dying in his bare old room. Harry had not cared about alerting the ministry anymore so he had shrunken his luggage and pocketed them in the dark cloak he had pulled out of them seconds before, and he left after turning off all the lights and locking it tight. Leaving it the way he found it.

Then he ran, knowing the current surroundings better than any other wizard; if they followed him he could easily loose them, even if they were the ones that were usually 'watching' the house.

That brought him to the fourth and last thing that just topped off his day. He had accidentally run into someone walking down the street. In his frame of mind, his normally polite demeanor had disappeared as he just wanted to get away, but the high pitch voice belonging to the person he had knocked over had stopped him.

"How dare you, you impolite Mudblood!"

He had turned to her and saw her wand directed at him; instinct had him reaching for his own but he failed to reach it in time as a spell hit him dead on. Then all he knew was darkness, the old witch's glare was the last thing he saw.

He had woken up in the middle of a forest, feeling incredibly cold. It had taken him some time to get his bearings, but when he had he noted the downward angle of his current position and moved. He found himself incredibly small, that the only way he could explain it. Even if he was only five foot eight, this was ridicules. Around his head he could see leaves, the size of his head.

At first he had wondered if she had shrunken him, but then realized that if that was the case, he would have arms and legs to move with, which he did not. It took him all of twenty minutes to discover his new serpentine form and that is where the story now starts.

With no sun up in the sky he knew it was still night, and also that there was no source of energy for his cold blooded form. He had curled up inside the nearest hole, which ended up being a hollowed out opening between two large roots of the nearest tree.

As he let his mind drift he again wished he could cry, but sadly he has so tear ducts to do so from. He wonders what will happen of him, and why it happened to _him, _always him. He wonders what will happen when the Order does not hear from him and finds a dead –and probably rotting- body in an empty house.

But as he falls into dream land, he wonders if he will even survive the night.

TBC

A/n: Edited 2/25/11

Thank you for reading this,

~FT


	2. Hope Found in an Enemy

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n:** Okay, I got two reviews~! Thank you, both of you.

**Chapter:** Hope Found in an Enemy

Harry woke the next day as the morning sun warmed up his hole. The young wizard wanted it to all be a dream, but knew it had happened, that he would not wake up at Hogwarts, would not be eating with his friends, and would not be riding the winds on his broom any time soon.

Holding back his turmoil he slithered out of his hole, looking around and smelling the world around him with his tongue and the new senses it gave him. He let the last day disappear from his mind for the moment, his survival instinct being much stronger in his new form.

He let the animal mind take over.

He licked watery dew drops off of the dead leaves around him, quenching his thirst. Next he found a nice warm rock to rest on, being sure to look up in the trees for any hint of a predator that might be bigger than him. He rested there until his hunger got the best of him.

Harry is not really sure how to hunt, but he would try, even if he is forced to eat a bug or two. At that thought he wondered what kind of snake he is, how big he is. Is he venomous, or did he use constriction to kill?

Being as slow as possible to not attract attention he lifted his head to get a look at his body. His scales are a brilliant green, a thick white line cutting through a stitch like patterns down his back, edged with a little bit of a darker green.

For once he is happy he actually paid a bit of attention to the snakes at the zoo that faithful day when he set a boa constrictor on his cousin and his friends. Emerald Tree Boa came to mind, but that is all, no eating habits or body length, he just remembered its beauty as it lay caged on the other side of the glass.

Being a boa he knew he used construction to kill and what he ate, but that did not help him with his size issue.

Giving it up he guessed that he would figure that out once he ran into a mouse or something else he knew the size comparison of, and to do that he would have to hunt. He slithered off of his rock, letting the predator in the back of his mind come forth, and could not help but feel a sense of excitement as he did so.

An hour later found Harry with a full belly and an length of about six feet, maybe more if he guessed right.

After that he is not really sure what to do next. Thankfully that is when the Slytherin part of his brain clicked into alertness. He had to find a way to talk to someone, anyone. He paused in his thinking, his serpentine eyes glaring the best they can, **"Anyone but Voldemort."**

As he hissed that out Harry realized he did not need to if he found a snake to talk to, hoping that they will indeed help and not see him as a snack.

It is his only hope to surviving and he really did not like that. But then again, he did not want to live the rest of his life as a serpent. The darkened wizard wants more options instead of the boxed in situation he had found himself in.

As he slithered along the forest floor Harry let his mind wonder and question. Had the Order already found out what he did?

It made his sick to his stomach that they would discover the body of the man he left there to die. They would not understand; he knew that painful truth from experience. The Order consisted of Gryffindors, Gryffindors blinded by their noble misjudgments. They only saw black and white, not the grey in between. The grey Harry had placed himself in.

And they would see him as black when they found the body, and so would the rest of the wizarding world. But then again, he remembered the end of his fourth year and his fifth year; would they label him a dark wizard again? He suspected they knew he is not as pure as he once was, but did they know more then they let on? He knew Snape is suspicious.

But then again, Snape is not pure either, maybe the potion's master would take his side if he knew just who he had become, the Slytherin he had become, **"Only Slytherins protect Slytherins, no one else will..."**

He muttered to himself, wishing again that he had not argued with the sorting hat in his first year, and wondering what his life would have been like if he had been sorted into the snake house.

Harry had been talking to himself and had not expected an answer.

"**This is true. I guess will not be my snack."**

Harry froze in place and turned to where the new voice had come from. Up in a tree, coiled over his head is another, much larger snake. From its scent he realizes that it is a female –how, he is not so sure- and he recognizes her to be another boa, a constrictor. He also detects her anger after a few moments pass by, **"You better speak again little boy if you want to live."**

He swallows and hisses back, **"If that is all it takes, sure, why not."**

She hangs her head a bit further out of the tree, in a way, glaring at him, **"Oh, you most defiantly grew up around humans, didn't you?"**

It was really more of a statement over a question, **"What gave me away…"**

She rolled her eyes at him, **"Not most wild snakes have even heard of Slytherin, let alone their relationship with the outside world. What happened, did you owner decide you had grown too big?"**

His Slytherin side took the chance she gave him and he found it much easier to lie as a snake, not worrying about facial signs, **"I guess, I went to sleep in my cage and woke up here**."

She slithers down further to the ground until the rest of her body falls to the ground, He realizes right off the bat just how much bigger she is, over twice his size. **"It displeases me how humans try to make us their pets and when we grow too big they just dump us off somewhere expecting us to know how to hunt and to live in the wild."**

He kept an eye on her as she circled him, a bit weary, **"Did it happen to you?"**

She stopped, **"When I was about your size, but my current master found me before I could starve. He takes very good care of me."**

He is sure that if he is a human he would have been blinking in confusion, **"Than why are you all the way out here?"**

She let forth what sounded to him like a giggle, a demented giggle, but a giggle none-the-less**, "He's out here, or I would not be here."**

After she had spoken is when he finally noticed the many new scents in the forest. He could taste their magic in the air and it made blood race in fear. Harry tensed and froze when the larger snake tightened her body around him, **"Calm down, the moment they kill me is the moment of their death."**

Not meaning to, but on humans instinct he rubbed his head on her, shivering as if someone had just soaked him in ice cold water. **"Who are they?"**

She hissed calmingly to him, **"My master's followers, Death Eaters," **when he tensed again, an odd motherly feeling came to Nagini, shocking her. She again hissed soothingly to him until he is lax against his form once more.

Harry finally spoke again when he found his voice, **"My owners talked about them a lot."**

She turned her head to him, as if to look at him in shock, **"You understand English?"**

His mind quickly came up with an excuse, cursing his self for slipping, **"I'm sixteen years old. Ya kind of learn."**

She did not speak for a moment and he feared he had slipped again; he did not even know how long his species lived, but when she spoke again it is with praise, **"I underestimated you young one; when my master comes and gets me, I want you to come with us."**

When he finally realized just who her master is his mind worked overtime until he knew this is the only way he would survive in his new form despite his earlier revelations.

Making up his mind finally he spoke, **"But I don't even know your name…"**

She gave him a look he could only translate into a smile, **"My name is Nagini. Now you know my name, what is yours?"**

He said the first name that came to him, **"Drake, my owner called me Drake."** and then wondered why it _that_ name had been the first on his mind.

She bobbed her head, not noticing his inner turmoil, **"Okay Drake, why do you call the person who left you here your owner and not your master?"**

He smirked, for the first time that day feeling comfortable, **"He may have bought me, but I in no way bowed or served him."**

Harry felt something rub his head and realized it is the end of Nagini's tail, **"Good answer. Master will like you Drake, you have a bite to your tongue."**

He felt his face warm up and wondered how that is possible, **"He's a speaker?"** He paused, **"I mean, that is the only way I believe he would understand me…"**

Nagini seemed to puff up with pride, **"Yes, he is a speaker."**

The smaller green snake could feel the joy radiation off of her and could smell it even better. At that moment his perspective of his parent's killer changed a bit. No one can possibly be that cruel if they care so much for another person, even if that person is a snake. His thoughtful moment, however, is cut short as he hears footsteps coming towards them.

The young human-turned snake moved his head in the direction and saw a tall hooded figure walking to them. He shrunk up against Nagini's much larger and more dangerous form without realizing he had done so. He quickly noted his actions when the older snake hissed soothingly to him, almost in a purr, calming him down, **"Drake, it is only my master."**

Despite what he had just told himself Harry could not see the man any differently. He still sees the cold blooded killer he had witnessed come back to life, the one that has made his life a living hell.

So when the Dark Lord spoke, harry could not help but jump, **"There you are Nagini. It's time to go."**

To keep Harry from freaking Nagini did not move to her master like she knew he wanted her to, **"How did the raid go?"**

Harry could not see Voldemort's face but he could hear the sneer in his voice, **"Better than I thought it would have, them only being trainees," **He paused and when he speaks again his voice is a bit gentler, **"It seems you have made a friend Nagini."**

Harry found his voice missing at that point, so it is all he could do to stare as Nagini spoke for him, **"This is Drake, his owner left him out here to die."**

Harry could now feel the Dark Lord's eyes on him and barely held back the shiver that threatened to run through his body, **"How intelligent is he?"**

The green boa suddenly felt very offended, thankfully Nagini's next words kept him from forgetting who it is that is before him, and biting back with his comment, **"I would have eaten him by now if he is not up to par."**

He turned to her and gave the larger snake a look and sarcasm dripped from his next words, **"Gee, thanks. I just love being talked about like I'm not here. Make me feel as if I'm back in my cage, a nice warming feeling mind you."**

Nagini grinned at him and the Slytherin in the back of his mind huffed at how slow he is being, chiding him for not acting as the wizard he has become over the last few years. She had been trying to get a reaction out of him the entire time, **"If you hadn't of frozen I would not have had to talk for you."**

He glared at her for a moment. **"Great, I have a chance to live and it is with a sarcastic female twice my size."**

A deep chuckle behind him nearly made Harry jump in shock, the sound of the Dark Lord's laughter sending a shiver down his spine that he could not stop,** "So he does have brain. I suspect you want to bring him with us." **

Nagini gave a snort, **"Well of course I do. He is turning into a bit of entertainment."**

Harry is getting ready to say something back when Voldemort pulled out his wand. Harry tensed and hid behind Nagini as best he could before she even had time to react. When she spoke it is in shock, **"Drake! It's alright; he is just going to shrink us. How else do you think he travels with me?"**

At her words her felt utterly stupid, though he feels that his reaction is warranted from past experience of having that bone-white wand pointed at him, **"S-sorry," **he quickly amended,** "the last time someone pointed a wand at me it did not end well on my part, I was just acting on reflex…"**

She blinked at him, pity peeking out of those golden eyes, **"I should have guessed that your owner is a wizard when you talked about Slytherins…" **her voice trailed off, **"and when you said your owner talked about Death Eaters."**

Voldemort cut in, amazement and pride sounded in his voice, **"You understand English?"**

Harry looked at him in shock, not expecting such emotion in his enemies' voice, **"Yes, a little."**

The Dark Lord nodded, satisfied with the new snake, **"I'll try to warn you next time I pull out my wand. Now we had better get going before the Order of the Flaming Chickens get here."**

Harry could not help but laugh at that and cocked his head at his unknowing enemy. **"Not to small please, I already have a size issue compared to Nagini."**

Voldemort chuckled and waved his wand. Harry felt his world grow smaller and looked to Nagini to see her shrinking to the same size, about three feet. He then followed her lead and slithered up the offered hand.

As he did it dawned on him that his head is not splitting open in pain. His scar did not hurt. As he settles on the Dark Lord's surprisingly buff bicep, he wonders why. What did that old witch do to him to make the link between him and Lord Voldemort practically disappear?

As far as he knew, the older wizard did not even guess that he had just let Harry Potter, the bane of his existence, onto his arm. He settles his head down to gather warmth and thinks, 'This is going to be very interesting from now on.'

_~!~_

Harry had just started to dose off from the warmth radiating off of Voldemort (much better than the cold forest) when the cloak he is hiding under is taken off. He nearly screamed at the sudden cold, **"Bloody Hell!"**

He found himself tightening around Voldemort's arm to get back some warmth. A chuckle however reminded him where he is, **"I can understand you not liking the cold, but I do like the ability of having both of my arms."**

Harry laughed nervously, **"Sorry, I was almost asleep."**

When he got no more than a thankful grunt in return for his apology Harry looked up at his enemy for the first time and realized that the older male is not longer wearing a hood, and also quick to note that if he had not of already know who it is he would not have recognized him.

Looking down at him with laughter are the same serpentine red eyes he remembered from that day at the Ministry, but a handsome, thirty-some-year-old face is something he did not recall, nor the fact that he had a head full of hair, however snowy white it is.

If anything he had thought he would have dark hair like his younger self, but then remembered that he is in his seventies. Coppery green eyes meet bloody red and Harry looks away ashamed, knowing that he had been staring, **"Sorry…"**

Again the Dark Lord chuckled, "**It is fine, I know I don't look like normal humans, never will again, no matter the amount of potions I take."**

A mournful tone had entered the Dark Lord's voice, shocking Harry again with an emotion other than rage and hared. This is a part of him Harry never imagined could exist. And yet, something the Dairy Tom had said came back to him, _'I was always able to charm the people I needed.'_

The boy-who-lived wondered for a moment if he is just being charmed and his identity is known, but then the more rational side of his brain, the side that is not currently weighed down with shock, tells him that he would have already been killed if his identity is truly known. He knows Voldemort is a cruel man, but even he would just get it over with instead of prolonging the inevitable.

Again he realized he is staring and quickly relays what had just been said to find a to say to stop making him look so stupid, dumbly mumbling an, **"Again?"**

Voldemort sat down on what Harry guessed is a bed, **"Let's get this straight, Drake. I am by no means considered a nice person by the rest of humans."**

"**That is only because they fear what they do not understand master. They do not understand the darkness; they are so wrapped up in the light. They will never see the gray shades in between."** The voice of Nagini startled Harry as he glanced at her resized form on the bed next to her master.

Voldemort rolled his eyes, **"Stop sugar coating it Nagini, I **_**am**_** an evil man."**

Nagini glared at him, "**Only because society has formed you to into such. What if it is the other way around and dark is considered the good and light is considered the evil?"**

Harry could not help but cut in as he coiled down Voldemort's arm, not believing he is getting ready to defend his enemy but not being able to stop himself from proclaiming his beliefs, ones that have been on his mind most of the last two years.

**"It would not matter. There would always be war, no matter which society sees as evil. The way I understand it, human's will always need something to hate, and something to live for."**

As he reached the silk blankets he let himself sigh in content, it is much better than slithering around on the cold ground where rocks and sticks rough up his smooth scales. When he finally looks up a Nagini and Voldemort he could not help the **"What?" **that left his mouth.

Nagini moved her body over Voldemort's lap to get a better look at the smaller snake, **"Once again it seems I have underestimated you Drake. You seem to be a lot smarter and insightful than I thought."** She smirked at him, **"I am glad I did not eat you. That would have been a waste."**

He glared at her, **"I love how you assume me stupid."**

Voldemort grunted and leaned back on a fisted hand, **"You usually have to, so forgive us for assuming."**

"**Are you sure you are as evil as you think you are?"** Harry could not believe the words that had just left his mouth.

Voldemort snorted, rolling his eyes in a truly rare display of emotion, **"I am a murderer, does that not make me evil? I kill without remorse, without giving it a second thought."**

Harry had to rethink who he is talking to, biting back a comment about murder, that now seems very stupid as he remembers the body in his old bedroom, **"Than you are truly a snake than, inhuman, a demon." **He whispered, **"But what can I say, so am I."**

He does not regret what he has done, years of pent up aggressions being eases when that one spell left his lips, but it is not only what he has done that hits him full force, but also what he has become.

Harry is no longer human, and is not sure if he is willing to tell the one person who could help him who he really is. So easy, it would be for Voldemort to kill him now, no amount of luck could save him now. Yet, his Slytherin stirs, the ambitious side of him waking up and setting his mind into motion.

Maybe if he got Voldemort to trust him…

He cut that thought down before it got any further. Though dark magic now fills his core Harry knows he can not be evil like that. Self defense, war even, is one thing, but using the masks he has upheld all his life to do more than protect himself and in fact hurt someone else, even his greatest enemy, will make him no better than Dumbledore.

Harry's thoughts are cut short and he lets out a cry of shock when his world suddenly became larger than it had been before and he realized he is his original size again.

Getting over his shock quickly he peeks at the wizard who is already putting his wand away, a indescribable look on his face, **"I must know why you defend me, Drake."**

When Harry does not answer right off the Dark Lord gets up, not seeming to have actually expected one. The site up the Dark Lord pulling off his battle robe, and the many layers that lay under it, revealing a fit body and pale skin Harry's teenage mind goes overboard, supplying him with images he currently wants nothing to do with.

Forcing himself to look away Harry decided to answer, as any distraction at this point is a good one, **"I was just dumped off in a forest, and you are offering me a new home. I feel I am obligated to be on your side."**

Distracting his mind even more, Harry is glad when he suddenly feels Nagini rub up against him. He looks to his in only slight confusion when she seems to snuggle up against him on the edge of the bed. He is shocked by this until he looks around and sees no cage.

A new realization strikes him, and his teenage mind squirms from behind the blockages he is quick to enforce at that thought. They would be sleeping with Voldemort.

He blushed as his perverted teenage mind pushes some images past the imaginary wall as he sees a semi-naked Dark Lord in the corner of his eye. He nuzzled his head up against Nagini at that point, trying to go to sleep and forget the site. **"Thank you Nagini."**

She looked to him at his whisper, her golden eyes frowning, **"Do not think me yet young one."**

The bed sunk again and the heat of a warming charm made Harry sigh in content until he could feel the body of the Dark Lord lay down next to him and Nagini. He tensed but Nagini did her soothing hiss again, until this time he fell asleep.

TBC

A/n: Edited 2/25/11

Fixed grammar, a little tense problem and added some detail as it was sadly lacking.

Thank you for reading this,

~FT


	3. Getting to know the Dark Lord

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**Chapter:** The Dark Lord

By the end of the week Harry had grown used to the routine Voldemort has set for himself.

At five he woke up and took his shower and got clean for the day, like any other person. As he sat down on the bed to dress -in many, many layers Harry noticed- he would conjure Harry and Nagini live food. This consisted of two large rabbits for Nagini and a large rat for him.

It took him a while to get used to the taste of conjured rats. They did not taste at all a good as those few mice he caught that first time he hunted, but he knows it is better than nothing.

He turned it into a game after the first day, tricking his prey while he imagined it being Wormtail until he finally crushed all the air out of its tiny lungs and swallowed it whole. Nagini had laughed at him the first time, asking him if he always played with his food.

Harry had replied that it made life in a cage a bit more interesting and she had not bugged him about it since.

After they had finished eating Voldemort and Nagini would leave to the morning breakfast held at Riddle manor, where Voldemort ate with the followers that lived at the Manor. While they went he would be left in the room to wonder around; or room_s_ as he found.

The Dark Lord's bedroom is connected to not just his bath room, but his study and a small library that he knows Hermione would salivate over if she ever saw it. By the third day he knew the layout of the rooms by heart and took joy that the mouse family that lived there is no more.

On the fifth day he had grown very bored and wondered if he could read any of the books in Voldemort's private library.

Ignoring the books on the selves, not knowing how to get them down safely, he had climbed up a chair and looked for books on table. Sadly it seemed Voldemort is very careful with his books, leaving none out.

Usually the wizard-turned-snake would give up on reading, but not today he decided, he is determined above all else to get a book off the shelf. So distracted by his determination he did not notice how the time passed, and is quickly reminded as the owner of the library walked in with his two top Death Eaters right behind him and Nagini at his feet.

As his tongue scented them behind him he is sure his current position is not good for his health. Somehow he had gotten up to one of the torch holders and had coiled his body around it, and that is from where he turned to look at the newcomers with a ting of fear of being caught doing, nothing really, until he realized they did not notice him.

Harry watches them from his hanging position as they sit down at one of the round tables that litter the three story library, at first glance it looks like they are getting comfortable, not sitting in the elegant position he would expect of them. On second glance, to his shock, that is in fact what it is.

The two Death Eaters are not rigid with fear of their master; said master is not rigid with rage. The scene before them is anything but the images he has been sent over the last few years in his dreams.

When comfortable in the plush covered wooden chairs, Voldemort is the first to pull down the hood of his black and silver battle robes and Harry's heart races for a moment when the Snake-faced Voldemort he knows is revealed. Only to disappear like the illusion it is when he runs a hand over his face.

The two death eaters do not react and Harry wonders how long it has been since Voldemort got his youthful looks back. He is forced to push that to the back of his mind however, when the Dark Lord speaks and his name is mentioned, "Well, Severus, have you discovered the location of Potter's family's house?"

Now attentive as ever to this small meeting, Harry watches as hoods are lowered and porcelain white masked are removed to show his Potions Professor and his school rival's father. The young wizard cannot help but feel a little uneasy with how as _ease_ Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy look sitting across from one of the most evil wizards in the world today.

That day at the graveyard like a fresh memory in the back of his mind along with the pure fear the Death Eaters gave their master; so seeing this little scene that looks everything like a meeting between old friends perplexes him and twists his view of the Dark Lord a little more.

He has to calm his rapidly beating heart just to listen to his potion professor's answer, "I have not, Milord. Even the Weasleys were forced to forget to protect the little brat."

The glare Harry sends at the man's back is interrupted by his shock as Voldemort showed weakness he never imagined seeing. Groaning and resting his head on a raised hand the Dark Lord mutters a whispered, "What about the werewolf?"

Severus shakes his head, "Personally I doubt it. The wolf is starting to show signs of leaning away from the order. Dumbledore probably noticed it too would not trust him with that information."

Harry blotched at this revelation, and that Voldemort had not driven his professor into pain like he usually did in the nightmares that were forced on him. 'Has it all been an act?' Harry thinks to himself, the wheels in his head turning.

"Funny, Draco could say the same think about Potter."

Hearing his name from Lucius' lips again his coppery green eyes snap again to the Dark Lord, wondering how he will take in this information.

Voldemort's head snapped up, his red eyes widened with shock at this information, "Really now?"

Lucius nods and leans back in his chair, a hand resting thoughtfully on his clean-shaven chin, "According to Draco, our little Golden Boy is drifting away from his friends. He keeps up the facade of best friends in public, but is obvious when they are not under the constant watch of the professors."

Snape hums in thought, this information seeming to be new to him, "Then he hides it well. Of course, I have been focusing on how much more seriously he seems to be taking his classes now." A sneer forms on the stoic man's face, "And how easily he seems to side step my insults and prods. He has not once snapped in anger this year."

Harry had to stop from snorting, rolling his serpentine eyes, 'Well duh, they got old and I got smarter.'

Voldemort however could not hide his shock at these changes in behavior, "Well, well, is it me or does our lion seem more like a snake?"

This time Harry could barely hold back his laughter at the irony of that question and found himself silently snickering to himself. 'If only you knew, if only.'

"It's possible," Snape said thoughtfully, "Dumbledore couldn't keep the boy under a vale for much longer. I hate admitting it but he is more cunning than the headmaster gives him credit for."

Harry's jaw dropped at that complement from his most hated professor, and stared at him in shock until his rival's father once again started to add to the conversation.

"Severus, are you sure he was pampered by his relatives?" The two Dark Wizards connected gazes briefly, "Draco has mentioned some behaviors that stem from a more unhappy background, not that of a pampered child."

Voldemort sneered, "He grew up with muggles did he not, it is not that hard to believe that the Golden Boy grew up unloved by those that do not understand just what it is he is capable of."

From his perch Harry refrained from flinching at just how close to home the three older wizards are hitting; and yet, at the same time he has to wonder about the anger in the Dark Lord's tone towards muggles he has never met before when the situation they are pondering is nothing more than a hypothesis.

A moment passed with all those in the room silently thinking to them self, though it is not entirely unwanted when Lucius leans forward with a sudden thought that breaks the silence, "What if Potter is turning away from Dumbledore? What if we can bring him to our side?"

With a roll of his eyes Voldemort volunteered with a hateful sneer, "That damn prophecy will get in the way."

Catching on to his friend's thoughts, Severus also leaned forward, "But prophecies are only as true as you make them. If you do not believe them then they have no power over you. They are fickle like that. "

If Harry were still human his face would mirror that the frown on Voldemort's face, "It's kind of hard after these long torturous sixteen years Severus. Use that wit of your to try to convince me otherwise."

Apparently Snape had been expecting that and already had a reply thought out, "From what I remember the prophecy said that you would mark him as your equal, and that for one to live, one must die." Snape passed, letting his words sink before connecting eyes with his Lord, "You have already died because of him. Is there any way that meant _that_ time, the same time you marked him?"

Face a mask of deep thought the Dark Lord stood and traveled to the wall to open a hidden compartment where his fire whiskey and other such alcohol are, turning back to the table he summed up his thoughts, "On one hand, we could have assumed that the prophecy laid out a time line, or on the other hand it could have described one occurrence."

As he sat down he poured three glasses of the strong beverage and handed them out. Each dark wizard cradled a glass in their hands as they thought deeper on the topic, their Slytherin minds fast at work. On the wall Harry also pondered the possibilities.

Being the only one to know the damned prophecy in its entirety he has more to think about, more words to guess the double meaning of.

First to gather his thoughts, Lucius is again the first to break the silence, "We can believe it, it is plausible."

Voldemort took a long swig of his whiskey, and hissed a few curses under his breath that made Harry blush and come out of his thoughts, "Thanks to Potter we were not even able to learn the whole thing."

Having come to the conclusion that it is all very possible Harry finds his self wanting to shout it out, to share the knowledge that was the 'last straw to break the camel's back' in his regards to trusting Dumbledore.

But he feared revealing himself much more then he trusted the three other wizards and kept his tongue still. Harry watched them through sad eyes, his thoughts muddied by his own confusion revelations and feelings. It does not help that his body aching from being in the same position for the last hour.

The young wizard cannot help but relax when Nagini finally notices his disappearance, hissing to her master her concerns, **"Have you seen Drake? I can't seem to find him."**

Broken from his thought Voldemort looks down at his trusted friend, his red eyes hinting at his own worries, **"He isn't in any of my rooms?"**

When Nagini hissed a negative the Dark Lord looked back at the two curious Death Eaters seated across from him, "Have either of you seen a six foot green boa wondering around here? He is a stray Nagini found on the last Trainee mission."

Their faces gave nothing of the shock in their eyes, but both shook their head in a confirmed negative the same moment Harry hissed at the gathered from the bookcase behind them.

**"I sound like a dog when you say it like that…" **The green boa took the chance at getting down from the awkward perch when it had been given.

Nagini slithered over to the book self and looked up at him in confusion and worry, **"What the hell are you doing up there?"**

Harry looked down at her, **"Um…lack of anything else to do."**

He had been getting ready to tell her that he had been trying to get a book off of the shelf, but something told him that he would be crossing the line of suspicion is he revealed that he could read as well as understand English. There is only so much a non-magical snake can do without raising questions after all.

He is thankful when she buys his excuse and he sees no hint of mistrust in her golden eyes. The larger snake huffs at him an annoyance, **"Why didn't you just say that you were bored? Climbing book selves, really?"**

The second question had been muttered under her breath and made Harry wince.

Silently the Dark Lord steps up behind Nagini, a snowy brow raised at the 'adventurous serpent, **"Had I known you were boring of my rooms I would have introduced you to the rest of the house hold, Drake. I have been waiting for you to get comfortable with your new surroundings."**

Shocked by his words Harry does nothing as Voldemort helps him from his perch with gentle hands, wrapping the six foot boa around his shoulders after checking for injuring by running hand down the length of smooth green, white and black scales.

Even in shock, Harry cannot believe he is allowing the treatment, and the metaphorical warm it fills him with. The Boy-who-lived felts ashamed of himself; this man had killed his parents and many, many others he did not know about and here he is, their supposed savior, letting his self be befriended by the monster.

The green snake let his thoughts drop and let himself be carried away in the kindness he is being shown, **"It had not accrued to me," **he muttered, thoughts not jumbled up enough for his quick mind to not supply him with an excuse,** "I am used to no one caring about what I want."**

Not a complete lie.

"**I am not 'no one', Drake."**

Harry does not know how to comprehend what is going on with those words, every view he has ever had of this man are slowly, one by one, crashing to the ground and breaking into pieces. The icing on the cake: even the man's serpentine red eyes had softened when they looked upon him.

"**I will keep that in mind."**

And that is all he can say in return. He dares anyone else to come up with something better with their mind in as much shock as his is now.

With a nod of firm acknowledgement Voldemort turns and goes back to his position at the round table where his followers are hiding confused shock. Harry still feels as if he has them beat though. The Dark Lord being kind to an unknown serpent has nothing on his tormented shock.

Neither Death Eater comment on the green and white serpent around their master's neck, and Harry is grateful for the small show of familiar behavior. No Death Eater has the right to question their Lord, no matter how friendly he is to them.

Finishing his whisky first Snape stands and gathers his mask, "Will we finish this conversation another time, Milord?"

Voldemort nods and with a wave of his hand dismisses both Death Eaters. "Another time," he confirms.

With his interruption, Harry notes that he not be able to hear any more of the conversation. Both Death Eaters said their good-byes and leave through the library's door. A flash of green throughout the rooms is all Harry needs to know that they left through the fire place in the Dark Lord's study.

When they were gone Voldemort placed his elbows on the table top, resting his head in the palm of his hands. From the Dark Lord's shoulders Harry witnesses as his parent's murder sighs deeply and his body sags how only an aged man can, tired and burned out.

The Dark Lord distracted, his mind where ever his turmoil is, Harry knows it would be so easy to squeeze till the murder could breathe no more. But he does not even think about it.

This, this old and ragged wizard, is not the man he hates. Harry has no doubts that he can very well be the man that killed his parents in cold blood and turned his wand on an infant, but Harry still finds himself rethinking everything he ever learned about one Tom Riddle.

As minutes pass Nagini claims a spot on the table top, careful not to knock over the empty glasses. Looking at her, really looking at her, Harry can see the worry stemmed deep within those eyes.

Feeling the heavy atmosphere in the room, Harry quickly thinks of something to say, wanting the mood to shift, to get back the Dark Lord who does not show weakness. Because, when the dark wizard shows such human capabilities it makes him into less of a monster in Harry's eyes.

At least, that is what he tells himself as she finally coughs up something to break the silence with.

**"May I ask you something, Voldemort?"**

Almost instantly it was like a mask slid back over the frowning face, a mask of confidence and hidden wisdom. The Dark Lord sits up, taking his glass of alcohol into one hand, and starts to stoke Nagini with the other.

**"I don't see why not." **Red eyes glance at copper, **"And please, call me Tom. That name is reserved for the fools who fear me."**

"**Alright,"** Harry had to pull on his Gryffindor side for his question (what little there is of it), **"Why- why do you hate muggles?"**

Tom stills, his hands pausing in stroking the larger boa. Think he has passed over an invisible line Harry starts to stutter an apology, but is interrupted, **"Well, I can't say I expected that one, but to answer you, I suppose that I really don't hate muggles as a whole."**

Harry felt a little bit of anger boil up in him, thankful when his emotions go back to normal when confronted with the older wizard, **"Then why do you kill them as a whole?"**

Setting down the glass Tom reaches up and soothingly runs a hand down Harry's scales, like he can sense Harry's anger, making said snake curse his body when he untended.

Resting against his chair Tom's seriousness is think in his voice when he finally replies, defending his actions, **"I don't, the ones that are killed by, what the newspapers call the Dark Side, are ones that abuse magic children -Muggleborn or not- because they fear what the child can do."**

Harry found this very hard to believe, **"Why?"**

"**Because I am tired of the ministry doing nothing to stop it,"** red eyes flared up at the thought, **"For five years I begged for Dumbledore to put me somewhere else; anywhere else so that the muggles I lived with, so they would stop hurting and abusing me during summer break." **

Nagini butted in, her hisses sharp with her displeasure on the matter, **"And for five years he did nothing!" **she seethed,** "Even though he knew, **_**he knew**_**, that my Tom is being abused!"**

Tom rubbed her head to calm her, not showing any anger at being interrupted, "**Our goal is not to kill all muggles and 'purify' our kind despite what we let the world believe. We do not all wish for Muggles to die out, as they are needed in this world, they have their place. But we should cut out any possibility of them discovering us. We do not hate Muggleborns because of their blood, for new blood is needed; it is their Muggle families that we have distaste for."**

The Dark Lord looked very old again, if only for the moment as his eyes meet Harry's, before he looked off in another direction before continuing on, **"Muggles do not understand us, and even if we have those very few that will accept us, not all of them will. Their technology is far better than our own so if they discovered our world, they could easily destroy if in their search for 'answers'. Imagine a Muggle scientist discovering a witch or wizard, and the tests that witch or wizard will go through so that scientist can find their answers, answers they will never get even as they find more 'test subjects'. That is a nightmare that can and will happen if the Ministry doesn't step up their game."**

Harry looks at the glass of liquor sitting on the table, the amber liquid keeping his attention as he thinks it all over.

He could believe it, knowing his relatives, and it is a indeed a very scary nightmare that needs to be cut off before it can happen, and the ministry is not really doing anything to stop it for the long run. Obliviation spells are very handy, but that just takes care of the problem of the moment. The Muggle parents of a Muggleborn will always pose a threat to the Wizarding World's secretly.

Not all of them are as understanding as Hermione's.

After a prolonged silence Harry asks the one thing in their plan that bugs him, **"So how are you going to do it, just take the Muggleborns from their parents and take away that person's right to their child?"**

Tom grunted, **"Believe me when we say that we have thought about that Drake. Hogwarts has a way to tell the Headmaster every time that a magical child is born. It is very old magic, and can be used to take a magical child from a Muggle family that does not understand us and put them with people who do understand and will be there with answers that a Muggle just doesn't know.**

**The Muggleborns today grow up with no knowledge of the Wizarding world and don't know anything until they are eleven, an age that Purebloods and most half-bloods know what they need to know. That creates a disadvantage and a great annoyance."**

Harry could only stare for a moment; the world being described to him would have made his life so much easier. No Dursleys. No being called a freak because he is so disliked and he would not have been thrust into a whole new world at the age of eleven, one that expected far too much of him.

But nothing can be that perfect. Sorrow filled his voice, no matter how much he tries to push it away, **"It is not that easy…"**

The Dark Lord, someone who Harry knows had a life before Hogwarts so much like his own, if not a little worse because of the time. So maybe that forlorn sigh is in memory of that childhood,** "We know this very well, but nothing culture changing is meant to be easy."**

Harry did not want to believe it, he did not want to believe that the man he is taught to hate is the man trying to save so many others from a fate like his own; even if it meant killing the ones that get in the way. Harry finally found his voice, at bit shaky he replied, **"What about the people you killed that did not understand your means and foolishly try to defend the only thing they know as right?"**

Tom shrugged his shoulders, **"They will turn sides or die,"** he gave a cold laugh, **"that is why I am an evil man, that's why I lead this side of war. I am able to do what needs to be done and not care that I am a murder."**

When it got quiet Tom stood swinging back the rest of his drink with not even a grimace, he helped Nagini curl around his shoulders along with Harry, leaving the library behind, **"Enough of this talk, off to bed; tomorrow is going to be very busy."**

As the head into the bedroom, Harry cannot help but voice one more question, consequences be damned, **"That Potter person you were talking about…"**

Tom sits on the bed, red eyes glancing at him as he leans over to pull off his boots, **"Hm?"**

"**What would you do if he has become tarnished, what if he wanted to fight your enemy? Would you let him join you or try to kill him and force him to fight on his own?" **Harry is staring at the ground; he missed the shocked face of the Dark Lord and the curious look in Nagini's eyes.

"**I haven't really thought of that. The Prophecy always proved a difficulty, but what Severus said will make me think on it."**

TBC

A/n: edited: 2/26/11

-Coughs in embarrassment- Okay, some of you who have read this before might notice some omissions and changes. When I read this again I was horrified at how OOC the scene in the library was and I could no longer live with it. So ya, I fixed it…

Took a bit, but I hope that it is better.

~FT


	4. Intruders

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"Parseltongue**"**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n:** Okay, after this you have to wait a week for the next update, okay?

**Chapter:** Intruders

It is a bustling day at the Order HQ as everyone got ready for battle; Severus had warned them of an attack that would take place and they wanted to be ready for it.

Remus, however did not care as he sits in his room, surrounded by objects designed to keep track of the moon's movements in the sky. He could not shake the feeling something is wrong. It had started a week ago, and had started to build up until it is a mass of worry in the pit of his stomach. He just could not shake it.

He did not care about the mission tonight because he would not be allowed to go on it, the full moon shown on all of his interments making sure of that. In a few hours he would be locked up in the room whose door is behind him. The only thing keeping him from already locking himself up being the potion he had yet to receive.

After the night at Hogwarts when he had endangered the life of another teacher and his students he made the promise to himself to never be so careless again. If he had bitten Harry he did not know how he would have lived with himself. The werewolf brought his hands up to his face, massaging the on-coming headache away.

He had come to realize he would do anything for that boy, even die for him. After Sirius died that is all he saw left to live for. But he is not sure how he would do that when the Headmaster will not let him get close to the green eyed boy, cutting off any advances he makes to help the last member of his pack.

It really kills him inside to not be able to be there for his last pack member, and it made it even worse that the man he looked up to is not willing to help in the least. He is starting to doubt his trust in the Light's leader and wonder if he would be better off with his sire. The wolf in him howls in agreement.

A fellow werewolf would at least understand his pain and try to ease it.

These thought are cut off with a strong knock on his door reminds him of why he is waiting.

He hurries to the door that leads to the hallway, opening it for the Potion's master who is using both hands to hold his precious cargo of goblet full of Wolfsbane. Remus suspected he used his foot to knock. "Thank you Severus."

The black haired man just snorted, "Just take it already Lupin."

The werewolf had grown used to the treatment placed on him because of his condition so he just shrugged the words off and gently took the potion away, swallowing it in one flow, wanting the get the taste over with as soon as possible. Once drained he set the goblet down and turned to the cage chamber.

As he walked, Severus fallowed, knowing the wolf would need his help to lock it. Once in Remus sat in the middle of the chamber. Behind him Severus swished his wand and the solid steel collar and chain next the wolf locked it's self around his neck. The chain is dead-bolted to the stone floor with the aid of magic to make sure they could not break, even under the incredible strength of the werewolf they are meant to restrain.

"I still don't understand why you bother with that Lupin."

Remus did not turn to him, but he answered, "Better safe than sorry. I don't want to bite anyone."

"Do you not trust my potion making skills?"

Remus did turn at the offended tone, "No, the potion does wonders for me. I would express how thankful I am for your help every full moon but I believe that would just annoy you."

They stared at each other before Severus turned to leave, "Just don't hurt yourself to much this time around. I keep depleting my supplies healing you."

Even with the rude tone in the Potion Master's voice Remus could read between the lines, "Thank you Severus."

The man just snorted and locked up the wolf with a flick of his wand, the heavy door slamming shut and many locks keeping it tight. In the chamber Remus let his head hang, "What happened to us Sev…?"

_~!~_

It is nearly eleven at night and Harry found himself contently reading a book. He found the book on the night stand where Tom had placed it before leaving with Nagini. The Dark wizard had not been able to sleep well that night and had gotten the book to occupy his busy mind.

Harry took it as a blessing and gently cradled it in his coils, occupying his own mind.

He found the book utterly interesting as it gave advantages and disadvantages to using spells in Parseltongue versus the usual spells in Latin. They were just as effective if not more, but incredibly hard to cast; not because of the user's skill but the person's understanding of the snake language.

It is one thing to be able to speak it and understand it he found, but a whole different thing to read it and write it. Like any other language those parts of it does not come naturally, you have to learn.

But unlike other languages, for a human to understand a snake is not natural, it's magical. And the first part of the book gets that out of the way with small incantations and little lessons. By the time he had gone through those chapters with a mild understanding it is good because the rest of the book is written in the language it teaches.

He kind of hated that he could not gain the help of those small incantations as it took him an hour to read a paragraph and another hour to understand it. He could not even ponder the idea of getting Tom –he still felt it odd to refer to the Dark Lord as such- to cast them for him, suspicion is the thing he is trying to avoid.

Harry closed the book with a snap, done hurting his brain for the moment. He uncoiled himself from around it and carefully placed it on the bedside table where he found it.

The serpent gives forth yawn and rubbed his eyes with the tip of his tail, not needing to but did it out of habit. He turned to the grandfather clock against the far wall and found it had been nearly four hours since the Death Eater meeting had started; they had most likely started the raid by this point.

It had shocked the boy-who-lived to see just how much the attack is planned, not at all being at random like the order had thought the attacks were. Each battle is a strategic move in the war, and Harry knows that if Dumbledore does not figure that out soon the light is going to start to lose their footing.

Then he wondered if the headmaster already knows, but then doubts it. The old man is knowledgeable, but even he can not know about these well laid out plans and not have told the order about them. Or him for that matter.

On second thought, Dumbledore's goal seems to be to leave the Boy-Who-Lived, the one he is placing the weight of the world on, in the dark.

Deciding he would do some laps around the room to stretch and clear his mind Harry slides off the bed with a thump; a moment later another thumps sounded off in the room, startling him. He looks around for the source and frowns, 'Well, that is odd. Am I hearing things now?'

Letting it go as a figment of his imagination, Harry makes his way around the bed, letting his body stretch out it its full length to get all the kinks from holding a book for so long out. Half way through his stretch another thump sounds off, this time louder, bringing Harry to full alert. He looks around quickly, but notes nothing different about the room.

So he let his over sensitive tongue do the work.

There were no new scents but he felt a new warmth. Just as he concluded that they were too big to be rodents the door to the Dark Lord's bed room burst open and two figures hurried in to the room. He scented the air and knew he had never smelled them before. Both were human and dressed as Death Eaters so Harry started to calm.

That's before he looked into Tom's study -the only way into the privet bed room from the hallway outside- and saw papers thrown everywhere and furniture over turned: A complete and utter mess.

A Death Eater would rather die than create such a mess in their master's private rooms. Harry glares at the two figures, pushing up against the sheets of the bed to make sure he is hidden from their sites. Suspicions are proven right when they talk.

"Are you sure he has it?"

"Would we be putting our lives a risk like this if we were sure he did not?"

"Then where the hell did that damn rat say it would be?"

"I don't know! He just said it would be here in You-know-who's privet rooms."

They are not Death Eaters; when the followers of Voldemort refer to their Lord they refrain from calling him anything but 'Dark Lord'. Hidden in the shadows cast by the candles hanging on the wall, the young wizard decides that he will watch them for a little bit longer, and then see if he could do something to capture them. He is not really sure _how_ at that point, but a plan is forming.

One of the cloaked figures walks past the bed and Harry watched his feet and smelled them to memorize the scent, then wished he did not as the smell of body odor almost makes his eyes water and he does not even have tear ducts.

The figure stops in front of the library door and opens it with a confidence of someone who does not belong should not have, "It's a book. Maybe it's in here."

Harry decides he will make his move when the other figure stops shifting through Tom's dresser, making his way across the room to the door of the library. With practice from snagging rats, Harry jetted his head out at the second figure's legs as the cloak shifted to the side and revealed ankle, and sinks his fangs into the tender flesh, blood filling his mouth.

As a reaction the leg kicks, flinging Harry's slender form across the room. Not willing to let his fangs be ripped out he let go, only to suffer the consequences with a thump against the wall that had him seeing stars.

"Bloody Hell! What is that?"

Harry looked up, a little more than dazed, as the second figure got down on a knee to check on his bleeding joint. The first figure spots him where he fell onto the floor, blood smeared around his mouth, "Don't fret yourself, it's just a non-poisonous snake."

The second figure's head jerks up, his beady eyes snapping to the green snakes position, "Well don't let it get away! You-know-who can talk to snakes! That damn thing is a witness we cannot afford!"

Harry is not able to get away as the first figure charged at him, wand drawn. He waited until the idiot is close enough and strikes, sinking his fangs in once again. This time he is swung into the air and he wrapped his body around the first thing he came in contact with, the man's neck. He released the man's thigh and goes for the face, biting in with no mercy as the man screams in anguish.

Refusing to loosen his hold on the intruder's neck he tightens as much as he can, not giving any holds to grip his slick form.

"Damn it you idiot!" the second man grunted, "Hold still."

A blast from the second man's wand cut into Harry's back and he let a scream of his own letting free a high pitched screech. Another blast and he is falling to the ground, pain blinding him and making him numb as his body instinctively coils upon its self to protect vitals body parts.

A kick connects with his head and Harry again goes flying, this time against the side of the bed. Falling to the floor he tries his hardest to slide under the bed, to get a barrier between him and his attacker, but another blast from the second man's wand stills him. Deep cuts marred his once beautiful scaled body as he struggled to stay awake.

"Shit! An Alarm went off! They are coming back!"

"Fuck the mission! Let's get out of here!"

Another kick sent Harry under the bed, a pool of his own blood making it easier to be slid against the carpet, "Damn snake! If you weren't here we would have found it!"

With a loud 'pop' their scents disappear and become still fresh remnants of their presence, Finally Harry allows himself to blacked out, hoping he will be found before he passes.

_~!~_

Tom had felt it in the mist of battle, one of his alarms going off with a faint tingle in the back of his mind.

The Dark Lord is an over suspicious man, so nearly everything in his rooms has an alarm on it, not just the doors like most people. He had placed an alarm on Drake, just to make sure he stayed safe. Whoever hurt the snake must have been pretty good if that is the only alarm that went off.

The plan is going accordingly, Dumbledore had fallen for the information Severus had told him. But when that single alarm went off everything is halted for him and his inner circle. They had to work hard to keep a HQ, for one to be found and destroyed is a large blow to their side.

So at the slightest sign of a disturbance, he and the inner circle left the lower Death Eater's to finish the mission so they could go protect the manor. When they arrived they separated throughout the grounds and then entered the manor through all exits, checking every Death Eater to be found and looking for anyone else that might not belong.

After finding a hole in the wards Voldemort flew down the halls of Riddle Manor, checking the wards on hidden rooms that kept dark treasures and other valuables from plain sire before going to his own room, more specifically, his library.

Every book in his collection is priceless, Slytherin Family Heirlooms or Dark volumes found nowhere else.

But oddly, above all else the Dark Lord found himself worried for Drake. The green snake had grown on him, his cunning and intelligence giving the snake a home in the Slytherin heir's tiny black heart. As he jets down the halls he does not worry about checking on the Death Eaters he passed, knowing who they were the instant he felt their Dark Mark in the edge of his guarded mind.

Around his waist he could feel Nagini growing worried. She is the only living being that had near limitless assess to his thoughts and she had also felt the alarm. **"Hurry Tom!"**

Her words bit at his feet, making him run faster until he slides to a stop in front of his rooms where he nearly froze, shocked at what his eyes find.

The usually securely shut door is wide open, a window to the chaos which lay on the other side.

His study before him lies in ruins, his papers everywhere with his desk drawers and the desk itself out of place. The chairs where broken and thrown about; his cloak cabinet doors are also open and the contents tossed about becoming a part of the mess.

The Dark Lord suddenly feels a dread that pauses the breath in his throat. He cannot believe someone has been able to break into his rooms without him knowing it. As he walks in House elves pop up and look about with as much shock as he feels.

Mind snapping out of shock, Tom quickly gained some control in the chaos by ordering some of them to find the inner circle and summon them to his rooms. The others he ordered to start cleaning and search for anything missing as he looks for Drake.

Stepping over his broken and misplaced possessions he hurries to his room where he an Nagini left Drake hours ago, resting in the bed. The pool of blood that travels under his bed makes his heart drop, but does not hold him back from action.

The Dark Lord springs forward, pushing the bed away with potion gained inhuman strength, finding the green boa covered in its own blood and not moving.

"Milord!" From the other room Narcissa is the first to arrive and see the mess.

He called for her and urged the medic to heal his pet. She nearly blocked him out as she set to work, her wand out. She weaves spells around the green reptile and fixed anything that she found needed it and her lord let her work, stepping back after Nagini slipped to the floor, resizing.

Tom had never seen his long-time friend so worried about anyone but him and yet he is not jealous like he thought he would be. He finds himself just as worried as the constrictor and cursed whoever did this and vowed that they would regret it with their lives.

He hears sounds of shock from the other room and knows the rest of his Inner Circle have arrived, but by that time the House Elves had half the mess picked up so they did not know the shock he had known. The Dark Lord barely saw his potion's master rush next the Malfoy Medic with potions to help.

Spells could only go so far before blood replenishing potions are needed.

Looking around he finally shook himself from the odd state he had unknowingly shifted into, realizing that the room is not in as bad condition as his study had been. His head whipped to the nearly dead serpent, recollection that Drake had stopped who ever had done this from getting any further dawning on him.

Again he finds himself in utter shock; he had only known the creature for a week and it is already willing to risk its life for him.

A house elf popped up next to him, startling him from his thoughts, "Nothing is missing Master Riddle."

The blood gone from his bedroom floor the Dark Lord is able to think again. His room is back in order, his two snakes on his bed and his followers waiting on the tip of their toes for his orders. He nodded to the elf, dismissing it.

Red eyes found his medic and she answered without waiting, "He will be in a coma as he heals for the next few days but he will be back to normal after he wakes. Any later and he would have been un-savable from blood loss." She paused, "There is blood around his mouth, not his. Whoever did this did not leave without some punishment."

A slight smirk lifted to her lips and Voldemort found himself feeling proud before he got down to business, "Whoever broke in is incredibly skilled at disarming my wards and alarms. If Drake had not attacked them we would not have known they were here until after the raid. Nothing is missing so we won't have any idea on what they were looking for until our only witness wakes."

Bellatrix stepped next to her sister, the only other female in the inner circle; not because of the rumors of her sleeping with her master but her knowledge and connections with the vampires. Fangs shined in the flame light as she spoke, "Then for now that means we need to find how they got in."

There were nods around the room and the thoughts sunk in. Whoever it is, they had to be sure that what they wanted is here before they even thought of breaking into the most dangerous Dark wizard's privet rooms. And to be sure they needed someone on the inside to assure them, someone on the inside to get them in.

"Whoever it is, they broke out of the wards to escape," Severus muttered more to himself than the rest of them. He held up a vile of blood he had collected from the boa's mouth, it would be useful in potions he knew his master would want to be brewed once the culprits were caught. The potion's master felt anger boil up in him, and knew he is not the only one.

As Slytherins they had held tight on what they gained, and this HQ is like sacred ground for the Dark Order, not even prisoners are kept within the wall, let alone killed on the grounds. Riddle manor is a sacred home to most of them, a place where they do not have to worry about being persecuted by the outside world, the world against not only them but what they stand for.

And it had just been violated, broken into and destroyed with the help of someone on the inside. That someone had just signed their death warrant and now they had the darkest wizards at their necks, waiting for revenge.

TBC

A/n: Edited: 2/27/11

Four down, two to go.

Thank you for reading this,

~FT


	5. A Discovery

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n:** With so many reviews…I can't help but update for you guys.

Enjoy~!

**Chapter:** Discoveries

Deep under London, soiled waters run in a maze of underground Muggle sewers. Alongside the rivers of filth scampers a large, grey rat, running with much haste, often pausing to hide in the shadows of the sewers to look about before taking off again, ignoring all other rodents it passes..

Something sets this rat away from the rest, something not natural.

It is not the dark grey star pattern on his hide that would get your attention first, but the solid silver paw that clicks against the concrete as it runs, moving as a real paw would, but glinting like only polished metal can.

Turning a corner the rat halts in front of a large hole in the brick wall that runs along the path of the dirty cannels, thick steel reinforcements sticking out all around the edge where the brick had been ripped away. It is the only part of the sewer that is in anyway clean, the floor well worn as if walked on a daily basis. The rat squeaked and backed up as a hooded figure stepped out of the large hole, ducking as to not hit their head.

The hood is lowered to reveal an entirely ugly man from his physical appearance (his nose broken and many scars littering his unshaven face, new ones forming from many sets of twin pin-point wounds) to the sneer on his chapped lips. He nods to the rat as it grew to become a shorter, rounder man, "Boss is waiting."

True to his first form, the round man has a slight rodent appearance. His body shook slightly at the thought of giving his report, the only reason he did not leave is the fact that he would not be the only one in trouble, and no one compares to the Dark Lord's anger to which he has suffered at the hands of countless times.

Together the two men ducked back into the dark entrance, lit only by their wands. Deeper underground they walked, descending down into underground catacombs. Webs littered the ceiling, broken bones on the floor with rodents scampering about and large spiders roaming the walls.

The rat-like man fallowed the taller wizard through a maze of corridors, his nerves setting him on edge, starting to wish he is not two timing the Dark side with his current boss. But they promised so much more than a world where muggles and wizards no longer feared each other.

Peter Pettigrew did not want that, he just wanted revenge and wealth. He never cared for anyone else, just the deaths of the other marauders. He smirked to himself, 'One down, and two to go.'

However his evil thought did not keep him happy for long as they came to a stop in front of an old, rotting door, kept from further damage with countless charms and wards. He had joined ranks with outlawed Unspeakables, the ones that evaded capture and imprisonment when the ministry no longer needed their skill and replaced them.

Inside the new room were five men, five highly skilled mercenary wizards. Four were looking over maps and scrolls, the fifth stood on the far end of the room, staring at Peter as he entered behind his escort, "The mission is a failure."

Peter gritted his teeth; the other man is always strait to the point, "Yes sir."

A glare answered him and Peter knew he is to pervade an answer, "The Dark Lord is pissed at the damage that is done-"

"That is expected, tell us something we don't know."

Peter gulped down his fear, "The snake that is in the rooms lives; it will live to serve as a witness."

A look a pure fury appeared on the leader's face as he whipped around to another man who had frozen at the news, "You told me that there is no doubt that it is dead!"

Fear shifter through the room as the receiver of the leader's yell turned and lowered his body, "I hit it with the cutting curse three times, sir. I just-" He paused and the leader cut in.

"Just what! Just assumed? How the hell did you make it through training? Unspeakables never assume!"

Peter snuck back into the darkness of shadows created by the fire light in the room; he pulled confidence from the fact that the book would be retrieved sooner or later and what these men had told him about the book and its secrets. These men had pulled him with them with a truth he had never wanted to hear, and with their help and the ungodly uses of his Master's book, the unspoken leader of marauders would not evade death again.

_~!~_

Nagini wrapped herself tighter around her new child as he shivered in his sleep. Again she wondered what he is dreaming that made him shake so violently. She had not left his side for the last thirty hours, for the fear of losing the smaller serpent is too great.

The Boa Constrictor had given up on how he had gained her kindness so easily, only having known him for a little over a week, she just let it be.

The green snake is not the only one to get her woory, her Tom gaining some fretting as well. He had been able to pull the magical signature of the intruders away from his alarms, finding that they had been skilled enough to not undo the wards and alarms, but to trick them. The entire manor is being scanned, Death Eaters running around to please their master and not gain his angry side.

As the intruders had not actually taken anything it is so hard to know what they had been looking for, so this put an unseen pressure on Nagini's sleeping ward. Several times she would catch a member of the inner circle starting at Drake longingly, as if their stare alone would wake him.

It did not work no matter how much any of them wanted the green serpent awake. Narcissa is an excellent healer, if she said one of her patients would be asleep for two days, the patient would be asleep for that long, give or take a minute or two. So with all this anticipation of Drake's waking, it surprised Nagini when she finally felt him twitch to revival when no one else is in the room.

His coppery-green eyes opened first, unseeing and blurry. As they started to focus on the world around him he let out a low pained hiss and without think he tightened his hold on her to an almost painful extent. It did not bug her however, only made her happy that his strength would not be affected by his injuries.

"**Drake?"**

His head slowly turned to her at the sound of her voice, **"Nagini…? What happened?"**

She smiled at the sluggishness of his voice and rubbed her head against his body for comfort, **"We found you just in time Drake, minutes later and Narissica would not have been able to save you…"**

_~!~_

Harry couldn't believe it at first, the fact that the female Malfoy is the one to save him. But the idea slowly sunk in and he wished it would always be like that. He is not sure how much longer he could keep his secret form these people with how well they treated him, but would they treat Harry the same as Drake?

Harry allowed his eyes to drift to the door to Voldemort's study and then the floor. He shivered. He had been on death's door so many times, but for some reason, this visit affected him more than it did the other times. After a few minutes, and the fog in his mind started to drift away, and he spoke again, **"How, how long have I been out Nagini?"**

He kept all his distress from his voice, and seemed to trick her for worrying further, **"Nearly two days."**

He jerked back, eyes widening in shock, **"T-two days!" **the older serpent gave him a look and he found himself smiling sheepishly, continuing in a calmer voice**, "Have they found my attacker yet?"**

She shook her head, **"No, they left only the blood on your mouth and tiny traces of their magic behind to be tracked with. Tom did not found anything missing, so we were all waiting on you to wake up with hopes that you know something we did not."**

Harry did not know who attacked him, but he knew someone behind it, well Harry did, Drake only knew him as 'the rat'. So he could not use names.

Nagini scented a bit of fear on the younger snake and she watched as his eyes darkened, which she understood, he almost died, she would fear reliving that too, **"Just rest some Drake, you will need it."**

"**No,"** he started with determination in his hissing voice, **"I've slept too much already, and I need to face this so they can get the bastards."**

He has changes so much, he realizes, but then he wonders if he really has. The young wizard has always been this person, now he just is not afraid of showing it, and he felt released from a prison with that, he could finally be himself and not worry about being ratted out to Dumbledore.

Nagini sighed and he felt her hold tighten a bit, **"Okay, I'm just worried for you Drake."**

His breath caught in his throat and if he could cry in joy, he would. He took in a deep breath and rubbed his head against Nagini's side, **"You have no clue how good it is to hear that Nagini."**

She smiled at him, but a voice interrupted any answer she could give him, **"She is not the only one Drake, you gave me quite the scare there."**

Copper eyes found red and in all honesty, he did not know how to answer that, because in all his years of being on the Dark Sides hit list –at the top really- he had never imagined any situation like this, never even thought it possible. And here is the Dark Lord, smiling down at him with _happiness_ in his red eyes; not hate, not anger, but happiness. Harry is shocked he does not just faint right there.

Voldemort walked over to the bed and rubbed both of his serpents' heads before sitting down next to them on his bed, nearly giving Harry a heart attack at the gentle movement.

Both he and Nagini gravitated to the heat without thinking about it. They sit there for a few moment, Drake and Nagini resting next to Tom, with his strong hand running down their lengths, giving Harry comfort he never thought he wanted, but the way the Dark Lord run figures carefully over what he knows cannot be anything but scares from the attack, Harry feels at home.

There is no better way to explain the feelings bubbling up in his chest.

Remembering just who he is with, and who he is, Harry pushes away the feelings despite the way his heart ached at doing so. He focuses on the matter at hand, for two days Tom and his followers have been waiting for him to wake to gain the knowledge only he has to give. He had to find his voice to say it, but the elusive thing did not hide far, **"They were looking for a book."**

Tom's hand paused for only a moment, but his hands continued memorizing every scare on his green scaled form, humming to Harry to let him know he has his undivided attention. The Darkening wizard also took it as encouragement, hearing the underline fact that the older wizard does not want him to go any further with his retelling than he is comfortable.

He has to stop his heart from swelling again, forcing out words that he knows will surely mean the end of the one that betrayed his parents, **"Does 'that damn rat' mean anything to you? From what they said I believe that is their inside man."**

Harry looked up when the fingers froze, watching as scarlet eyes darkened with anger, for once not directed at him, but at Wormtail. The rat's death excited Harry for obvious reasons; he _so_ wanted to be a part of that torture session. He just wished that he could use him magic as he has some spells he would just love to try out on the traitor.

"**I should have guessed that it is **_**him**_**,"** The Dark Lord's hisses are low and filled with hate; Harry almost pitied Wormtail at that moment…almost. **"We haven't seen him for four days. That damn rat is going to die this time."**

Harry shivered in anticipation at that promise, is it the snake in him or the Slytherin in him that grew excited? When Tom stood and went to grab his cloak Harry could not help his self, **"Can I come?"**

The man paused and turned to the snake before he nodded went back over to the bed with an offered hand, **"Around my shoulders this time Drake. Are you coming Nagini?"**

As Drake went to the offered hand and wound up his greatest enemy's arm to rest around his shoulders he noticed just how much Tom trusted him, 'I will not break that trust either, even if I have to stay Drake forever.'

This thought startles the Boy-Who-Lived, but he knows he can not lie to himself.

Nagini nodded her big head, **"Of course Tom, I wouldn't miss that rat's demise for anything."**

With Drake around Tom's shoulders and Nagini at his feet they left the man's room. It is the first time Harry had left them and he could not help but feel a mix of excitement and fear at being somewhere new. But he knows that Tom will protect him and that made the warmness swell up in his heart again.

This time he does not push it away.

_~!~_

Tom quickly moved from the wing of the mansion that held his own rooms to the other end, to the meeting room for him and his inner circle, no low class Death Eater has ever stepped into this room.

This large circular room is used specifically for planning their next move; a large map sits glued to a large round table, color coated pins and different marks and symbols decorate the map. Tom and his inner circle have spent many an hour hovering over the map that shows all of the British home land plus the countries around her that hold the out skirts of the major magical community, including Hogwarts.

The Dark Lord walks up to the large map as he walks into the room, his red eyes taking in the pins scaring the once unmarked cloth. No all of the pins are stationary and Harry watched as different colored, some with symbols move about the map. Seeing a large number of white ones with the Dark Mark delicately painted onto them Harry is reminded of the Marauder's Map, and all the foot prints that mar it to tell him who all is in the castle and where they are.

Harry found his serpentine eyes staring at the marked pins, noting how not all are just white, some are silver, some are grey, the difference is slight, but he notices it.

The young wizard watches as Tom traces parts of the map, where most of the Death Eaters are grouped. Made obvious by an angered hiss he did not find what he is looking for and the slightly clawed finger hovers over other pins, small groups first before checking lone pins.

The Dark Lord lets out a very angry hiss when he does not find what it is he is looking for. **"He took his pin! That traitor!"**

Harry cannot help but shrink against the neck he is wrapped around when a low hiss passing through the Dark Lord's lips. Harry shivered at the sound, for the first time since being at Voldemort's side he is truly scared at just what would happen to him if he is found out.

He suddenly wishes to fall back into the shadows and disappear forever, that they had left him to die a few days ago.

When the Dark Lord suddenly punched the wall –a very Muggle thing to do- it only made matters worse; a crater is left where the Riddle's hand had connected with the wall, chips of brick falling to the table below it, and Tom is not even bleeding. If he had not fully realized it before, he knows for sure that despite his new appearance, the Dark Lord is anything but human.

Next to her master, Nagini's worried hisses dragged Harry away from the dark corners of his mind as he shivered with fear and excitement, **"Tom, please calm down, you are scaring me and Drake…"**

With great effort the Dark wizard did calm down, but not a moment later several people rushed into the War Room, as Harry decided to dubbed it, and stopped at the site of what their master had done.

Harry watched as a beautiful woman with shimmering blonde hair and worried ice like eyes stepped forward, he recognized her as his school rival's mother, instantly. Behind her stood her husband, her sister and her husband, his brother, and that is where Harry's recondition stopped.

"Milord, what is it?" She had rushed forward talking his hand into her own and checked it over, only letting it fall when she deemed it not in need of her healing spells, "What happened?"

Harry snorted at the question, not helping it when his coping mechanism of sarcasm jumps into action, **"I think he just punched a wall, but that might just be my mind playing tricks on me."**

His hisses brought attention to his self, that and the Dark Lord let out a dry laugh, "You are lucky she cannot understand you Drake, else you might fall victim to her 'mother power'."

Narcissa frowned at her master, and then at the serpent around his shoulders. Her face brightened at the sight of him and he felt a little shocked to see that on a face usually covered with a emotionless mask, "He's awake, how wonderful!"

Harry blinked at the woman, **"And they say teenagers have mood swings…"**

The Dark Lord pats him on the head with another dry chuckle, but turns serious immediately and looks back to the map, "Now we know why Wormtail has not been spotted. From what Drake has said, he is their inside man. The only smart thing he did was steel his pin so we could not find him."

The current Malfoy Lord stepped up next to his wife and glanced at the pins but trusts his Lord far too much to actually double check his words before looking back at him. This is the first time Harry noticed that none of them have bowed down, is he missing something?

Lucius eyes the boa around his lord and friend's neck, "Did he hear what is to be taken?"

Tom nodded and gravitated around the table with the map pinned to it, looking at it to occupy his busy mind, "A book apparently."

Harry nodded, recalling his near death experience as best he could, with Tom he did not feel afraid for some morbidly odd reason and did not cringe at the memory of the spells thrown at him, **"There were two of them, and both called you 'You-know-who'. At least one of them will be recognizable because I am sure not many humans' faces are littered with twin pin prick wounds. The other one I bit on the ankle. Both males did not fear using dark spells on me either as it is cutter spells thrown at me."**

"**Good job Drake."** Harry couldn't help but puff up at Nagini's praise and he wondered if it would feel like this if he had a mother. He then wondered in what other odd situations he would consider a boa constrictor a mother figure.

Tom also let out a low hiss of approval before turning to those of the Inner circle that are present, "Two males with no connection to us, but use Dark Magic without fear. He bit one on the ankle, and the other on the face numerous times."

A cruel laugh could be heard under Tom's voice and Harry spotted several smirks and twisted smiles on those present. They approved of him; it's amazing how that made his heart swell happily.

_~!~_

Severus Snape is man that is usually held together in all situations, his cunning mind ready for anything that comes his way with plans and tactics made weeks ahead of time for any situation thrown at him by the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but this just tips it all. He is not calm and collected, and even after racking his brain numerous times for something to do he comes up with nothing.

After getting an urgent fire call from Dumbledore, he now stands in a place he never thought he would be trusted to enter, but he knows the man is desperate. A week after the end of school the order members went to check up on Harry Potter in his aunt and uncle's house. What they found shocked and horrified them.

They found an empty house, freshly painted and a 'for sale' sign in front. The Dursleys moved without informing the headmaster of their plans. But that is not all.

The Three Order Members had also found something very disturbing in the smallest bedroom on the top floor: a grotesque and horrid smelling body of an aged male Muggle. They had not needed to investigate to know that it is a cutting curse that had been the reason the man had died, dark magic swirled around in the room, nearly suffocating the light witches and wizards that had arrived to investigate.

The Dark magic tingled Severus' skin and excited him with the power that pulsed with it even know, days after the spell had been cast.

The Potions Master had been called in because of this magic, interrogated the moment he arrived to see if his Lord had captured the Boy-who-lived, who is supposed to be at this very house. Severus had just stared at the older man.

No, they had not been able to find that damn brat, and he had replied such. He had also been asked if it is possible they had, but he is not told.

Severus had to hold back a very venomous remark at that, his hard earned rank had just been insulted after all. All he had said is that that is highly unlikely as the Dark Lord had yet to ask for extra potions for the dungeons. And surly _Harry bloody Potter_ being captured would call for such potions.

And yet, just who had killed the Muggle man is not clear, and yet Severus knows he is not the only one that suspects it is the Boy-who-lived himself, as no one else but the Dark Lord would hold such power for the spell to still be lingering. Severus knows Dumbledore suspected that their Golden Boy is tarnishing.

And now he really has something to report to his lord. After his use at the empty house is extinguished Severus is allowed to leave, and he did swiftly, disappearing to Riddle Manor as soon as he walked out of the house.

So now he is walking down the halls towards the Dark Lord's second study, eager to tell him the interesting and promising news.

TBC

A/n: Edited: 3/5/11

I changed the thing about the clocks, not liking the idea, I hope the map overly outtakes the stupid idea that had been the clocks. I really like the idea of him knowing where they are at all times. And it helps with the future plot, gives me some ideas.

~FT


	6. The Dead Discovered

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I do not mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n: **Wow, it has been a while since I updated any of my HP stories, but I am hit by inspiration on how to continue this, and I found myself typing it, unable to sleep till I finished. I am sorry it took so long.

On to why you are even on this page, Enjoy~!

**Chapter:** The Dead Discovered

Harry shivered in anticipation, watching Tom and his inner circle plot to capture, slowly torture and kill Wormtail. It excited the young wizard turned green boa to no end –and this fact kind of frightens him-, but he really wishes that he could at least join in and add his bits and pieces, but Drake does not know just who Wormtail is -soon to be 'was'-, only Harry does.

He is actually enjoying himself as he rests around Tom's shoulders, half snoozing, half 'jumping' in excitement, but like always, his good mood did not last long and his uplifted spirit is cut down a few notches.

His eyes snapped up from the map and watching as the pins moved on their own when Tom or anyone else in the Inner circle said something to change the facts the map displayed. Harry felt someone approach the door, and with a flick of his tongue he recognized the scent to be his Potions Professor –he is still amazed at how well his tongue can 'smell'-.

Listening to the meeting taking place around him Harry had learned that the man had been called to do Order business out of the blue, and Harry prayed they had yet to find his 'families' empty house and the body in his room.

As Severus entered the room, even Harry could feel his anxiety and he does not know the man all that well. It is Narcissa that spoke first, looking at her son's godfather, more than a little worried, "What is wrong Sev, what did the old coot want?"

The Potions master looked as if he had just run many miles, which Harry would not doubt after riding on Tom as he walked through the large Mansion –why the man had walked the distance from his rooms to the War room Harry did not understand-, his breath labored and his eyes wider than normal. When Severus spoke, his voice is barely above a whisper, "He is gone."

Harry froze, and if possible he is sure that his eyes would have gone wide with fear, dredging what came next and wanted to escape for what the Potions master has to say, but unfortunately Tom only moved _closer_ to his potion master, "And just who is gone Severus?"

Snape's eyes met his lord and friend's red pair with his own shocked onyx, "Potter, the Order has no clue where he has gone."

It is all Harry could do to not pray for a quick and painless death at that moment.

A collective gasp went about the room and Tom is the only one to stay calm, feeling that there is more to be told, "Shut the door Severus."

The door is shut and without anything being said everyone walked to a small meeting area, where sits a chair for everyone in the inner circle. Harry shivers and resists the urge to tighten around Tom's shoulders, less it draw attention to his self.

Once seated Tom's eyes met Severus', and the man did not need any bribing to tell what he needed to, "Dumbledore set up an odd point to appear at. I arrived in the middle of a Muggle community…in front of the house that Potter has been living in all these years. Trusted Order members had been ordered to go check up on the brat, only to find the house empty with a 'for sale' sign out in front, the muggles had moved."

Everyone let this sink in for a moment before Tom spoke, "Why were you called in Severus, surely the old coot does not trust you enough to let you know that boy is missing."

Severus shivered, "A Muggle body was found by the Order members, in a room so full of dark magic that most of the light wizards of the Order could not enter. Dumbledore wanted to know if there is any chance that we had found and captured Potter. We have not, and I told him so."

The Dark Lord frowned and leaned back, nearly making Harry piss his self when a hand reached up and stroked him, "A dark wizard killed a Muggle in the house that Potter used to live in, something tells me that that is not some coincidence."

Severus shook his head, "No, and the body is not fresh, it is already starting to decay, it had probably been there at least five days, and yet the magic is still so strong. Whoever did it is incredibly powerful."

Everything went silent, Slytherin minds trying to decipher what it all means and how it fits in with what they know. When the information sank in Bellatrix is the first one to speak her mind, "Is it possible that Potter did it, I know we think he is no longer as innocent as we all once thought he is, but could he really kill anyone?"

Harry resisted the urge to mutter to himself, 'He had it coming.'

The Dark Lord hummed for a moment, "We cannot say that we know what Potter has been up to, but with the activities that Severus and Draco have reported his doing at school, he is well on his way. If it is Potter who killed that man and our suspicions are correct, then we must find him and see if he will join."

"See if he will join, My Lord?" Harry did not recognize the man, nor did he care much, he is too much concentrating on not dying of a heart attack at the fact that Tom actually wanted the Boy-who-lived to join the dark side.

Boy would the Daily Prophet have a hay day with that information, just the thought made him what to call up the reporter that had made his fourth year a living hell on top of everything else he had to go through.

The thought of that year brought up hated memories, but Harry's body started to betray him and he could not help but calm with the hand stroking his scaled body, rubbing in areas that were especially pleasant. He wanted to hate Tom, really he did, but it is getting harder and harder to do so.

Tom barely glanced at the Death Eater before answering, "He will have too, because the light side will not be very forgiving of their 'hero' murdering and then running away," he closed his eyes and his voice lowered, "I am not blind to the fact that with proper training he can easily match or surpass me, which is why he will join or be cut out of the picture before he can overturn all that we have worked for."

Having calmed down Severus' mind started to work properly and he no longer seems to have lost control over his mask and is back to the man Harry knows him to be, this oddly made him a little more conferrable and not so freaked out, "Have you thought it over?"

The hand stroking him paused, as did Harry's breathe because he knew what the spy is talking about. But Tom stayed calm, again Harry could not help but compare this Voldemort with the raving madman he had been taught the man should be. With a low and thoughtful voice the Dark Lord spoke, "I have, and I can believe it, but will Potter? I killed his parents Severus; I can understand any amount of hatred he has for me."

Harry stared off into space, mind no longer on the conversation fully as his mind worked overtime to figure out what he should do next.

_~!~_

She is crying her eyes out, clutching her former teachers robes with everything she had as her mind continued to play the day's events over and over again.

Order Members had come back to the head quarters with horrible news. Harry is missing…and Dumbledore blamed the death of a Muggle man found at the Dursleys on the missing wizard.

This did not shock Hermione; she had noticed with everyone else that Harry is growing darker. And she -unlike everyone else- has seen his Dark Art tombs with her own eyes, even read one or two _with_ Harry's knowledge of the act. She read about them, but did not practice them. Along with everyone else she believed that Harry could indeed take a life, and she believed he could do so without much remorse if he had no other choice but to take the life. But this oddly did not scare her.

Of all of the people at Hogwarts, she is the only one Harry included in on anything. He started to push her away, she knew this, but unlike everyone else, he still considered her his friend which showed the trust he still has in her to not out him with the knowledge of his tombs. And she cherished this above all…she is the only one at Grimmland place that did not seem to come out of the 'I hated him all along' closet but the shoulder she now cries on, even Ron, and this alone is enough to make her cry harder.

She knew that deep inside, her best friend is not evil; it is their world that made him into what he has become, he has been molded to survive, and that is what he does, survive. Hermione has always knows he is a Slytherin deep inside and not a Gryffindor; just like she is suppose to be in Ravenclaw but is forced into a deal her family made with the Headmaster.

Slytherins do not do anything without a reason; she is far from blind from this. One _would have to be blind_ to not see their planning and cunning. Harry had a reason for killing that man, for he would not have done it for sick pleasure.

Before she had escaped Hermione had seen Ron and Ginny doing 'Harry' impressions and can hear them –and how could she not with the loudness of their voices as they seek attention- proclaim that they had never even been friends with the 'Next Dark Lord'. It kills her how they can do this to a person such as Harry.

That is when she ran, slipping out of the loud room unnoticed in all the commotion. She went to the only person she knew could never turn on Harry: Moony. Harry is the werewolf's last Pack member; he would never turn on the green eyed wizard, even on penalty of death.

And now he holds her shaking form as she cries, silent tears going down his pale cheeks as he tries to be strong for his cub's last friend. He wishes so much that his best friends are alive again, if only for the support they were always able to give him when he doubted the future, and how he doubts it now. James and Sirius were pranksters to the death, but they were his pranksters, his pack.

It is hard for them at first, but they did not leave his side even when he found his wolf yearning for the Slytherin the two had pulled prank after prank on all their years at Hogwarts. They had even tried to help the two together, but it is a doomed relationship before it started and did not last long no matter how much Remus wanted Severus.

Severus pushed him away then, but maybe now he would help protect them.

Hours later Remus shared a plan with Hermione, and hope rose in both Gryffindors' hearts.

_~!~_

That night, after the meeting, Harry had been a little unsure about sleeping next to the Dark Lord with his secret out in the open. But he curled up with Nagini and Tom in the end, after a hesitance that should have been a lot longer than a few seconds, if he still considered himself Harry Potter.

Part of him did not anymore; as he knew all along that the Harry Potter the world sees and the Harry Potter he really is are two completely different people. For the last year and a half of his life, the Golden boy had only been his mask. A mask that had crumbled, no, shattered the moment the Dursleys decided to move without him. When he had drifted into his own mind earlier, with the sounds of the conversation nothing but background noise and Tom's hand running down his length, Harry had really started to contemplate what he is going to go next.

And still, he had not a clue at all.

Sure, he could tell someone his secret, and probably die for it, but gain back hope of fighting against those that had manipulated him all his life and in the process made that life utterly miserable, and maybe, someday he could have his body back. And that is what Harry craved so very much right now.

The life of a snake, he knew, should be freeing for him. To not have to deal with the war, and to do as he pleased, had always been what he wanted in life. But even the life of this snake, this life as Drake, friend to Nagini, the Dark Lord's familiar, is not what he truly wants. It is true that he felt loved, felt that someone cared for him, but they cared for Drake, not Harry.

And despite it all, he is still Harry, and will always be Harry.

For the first time since he had become a snake, as he lay against Nagini next to the Tom, he thought about the old witch that had put him here.

Heaven knows he should be thanking her for this chance to see the Dark Lord in a whole different light, but heaven also knows that the old witch had done something he did not think is possible: made his life a hell of a lot more complicated than it already had been.

And he does not even know how she did it. He does not remember the color of the spell, and she had not spoken the spell, just flung it at him. Is the spell that hit him responsible for his new form, or is it a spell after that, after he was knocked out?

Harry hissed angry at the utterly confusing complications. He felt like killing something at the moment, killing something or utterly destroying something, anything. But, as he is unlikely to get out of Nagini's death grip without her knowing or moving off the bed without Tom noticing his disappearance, is not likely, so he lies there, fuming about how unfair his life is.

The idea of telling Nagini had passed through his mind many, many times, but he feared for his life a hell of a lot more than he wanted to tell the truth. Call it cowardliness if you will, he just called it self-preservation, as any true Slytherin would. He felt like he had just entered into the game of war, and he had been dealt a very bad hand, and if he did not play his cards right, and did not bluff well enough, he would lose.

But at least now he is a player, before he had been nothing but a pawn on Dumbledore's chess board. And now that pawn is taken into captivity by the enemy, even if the opposing player does not know it, yet.

It is with this thought that Harry finally drifted to sleep, using Tom's chest as a pillow.

~!~

It felt like, not even seconds after his eyes closed, that they jerked back open, because he knew he had not fallen asleep with sticks and rocks digging into his back. He jumped up, fully awake in seconds after his last year at school, having to be ready for anything, at any moment.

He leapt to his feet, wand in hand, eyes scanning his surroundings.

After he divulged that he is in a clearing surrounded by thick forest, and that he had absolutely no clue where he is or how he got there, he noted something. He is standing, on two legs, and with two arms, and a wand in hand.

What the hell? How? When? Where?

Needless to say, he is not all too sure what to think and what question he should ask fist. Is it all a dream, and if so, why is he out in the middle of some unknown forest? Is this a dream, because frankly, it seemed like so much more of a possibility than his near death experience being a dream?

"If this is real, you would be dead already Potter."

At the sudden voice Harry whipped around, wand trained on the speaker, only to nearly drop said wand as he recognized the person. It is Tom, Dark Lord that he had just fallen asleep next to. And his red eyes are eyeing the wand pointed at him with a raised brow. Harry notices this and instead of lowering it like Drake would have, he keeps it trained on the other wizard like someone who has not has a week to bond with the Dark Lord would.

Tom looked up from the wand, to Harry's face with a sneer, "That will do you no good here."

When something dawns on him, like the possibility of him suddenly being a human in a clearing with the Dark Lord being impossible in his current situation. That and the Forest isn't as sharp as he had perceived it to be before. He lowers his wand then, but does not put it away, because the Harry Potter the Dark Lord knows is not as trusting (stupid, maybe) as he had become around the other man. He glares a little, "This is a dream, isn't it?"

The Dark Lord smiles, but it happens so quickly that Harry believes himself seeing things when it is gone in the blink of an eye. He notes that the older man is leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing in an almost casual way, with his arms folded across his robed chest, and those red eyes are staring him down, "Not bad Potter, there might be hope for you yet."

Harry felt offended and scoffed, "Why am I here, Voldemort?"

Is it odd, that after only a few days of calling the Dark Lord by his given name, that his title feels so odd rolling off his tongue? This thought disappears when the man of his thoughts smirks, "You have no fear in a name, how smart of you."

Harry fought back the urge to quote Dumbledore's word, wanting nothing to do with the man, and glares instead, "Am I here for you to point needless things out for me, or is there a reason for this visit?"

"Impatient, how Gryffindor of you, and here I am hearing about how Slytherin you have become…"

It is like a slap to the face really, and all he could do is glare, "Now you insult me. Why have you drawn me here?"

He let whether it is the Gryffindor or Slytherin comment that insulted him up to Tom, to let him think what he wants. Tom smirked at him, his eyes glinted with intentions Harry wishes he could figure out, "To be brutally honest Potter, it isn't very hard to insult you."

He is being played with, and it not only offended him on levels he does not understand, but pissed him off, "Get to the point. You are obviously playing with me, and testing my reactions."

He really, really wishes that he could curse that smirk of the other man's face. It did not disappear though, and served to make Harry even madder, until the other spoke again, asking a question that through him off guard; "I am just curious, as to why you killed the Muggle."

It only took Harry a second to know where this is going, but decided to play along, because Harry Potter had not just been at the latest meeting of the Inner Circle and the Dark Lord, and is supposedly somewhere hiding. Now he knows why he is drawn here, it is the only way Tom does not have to search for him to get answers, and maybe Harry would give him them, after turning the tables a little.

So he asked a question of his own, "They found the bastard, did they?"

"Indeed," it is very unsettling, the way those red eyes are studying him, "Would my guess, as well as the Order's guess that you are the killer be the right assumption?"

It is unspoken that both parties are right, but Harry knows that an answer is wanted. He shrugs his shoulder, "A cab driver with bad intentions for seemingly defenseless boys when there are no witnesses around. The world is better off without his disgusting presence."

A brow rises to Tom's hairline, "He attacked you? And instead of paralyzing him or using any other, just as effective light spell, you used a very dark one, and killed him? How interesting Potter, how very interesting."

He waited for a reply, one Harry had a feeling would decide whether or not his entrance into the dark side would be considered, so he replied with how he truly felt on the topic; "Magic in not dark, it is not light, it is only what the user makes it to be. I could have used the cutting curse to cut down a tree, just as I cut down that man. It is only dark because I wanted the man dead for what he wanted to do to me, but while I used a cutting curse to wound him and leave him to die of blood loss, I could have also used a levitation charm, a perfectly legal charm, to throw him out the window or through a wall, and still left him for death."

He felt like he had impressed the Dark Lord, because that smirk now seemed a little bit like a smile, "Well done Potter, you have grown a brain."

Harry frowned and replied sarcastically, "Thank you, because your approval is what I strive for."

The smile widened, and did not turn hateful like Harry had thought it would have, "It seems we were right about you Potter."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow of his own, not that you could see it from under his bangs that he had grown out to hide the damned scar, "Oh? And what were you right about?"

He would reflect back at this moment, and wonder why he is so bold, even if he knew the answer. Maybe it is all an act for Tom, to show him a cocky teenager just starting to dabble in the dark arts and not afraid to show it anymore, and maybe he is so bold, because he knows he will wake up in the morning and while knowing that both the Order, and the Dark Side are looking for him, and he is right under the Dark Lord's nose.

Suddenly said Dark Lord is in front of him, disappearing from his last spot in what could only be described as a dark cloud of smoke, and gripped his chin with a sinister smile on those lips and a gleam in those eyes that oddly made Harry shiver in excitement. He is forced to meet those eyes and glares, hissing in pain as the grip on his chin grips tighter.

"**I cannot tell if you are just as cocky as you are acting Harry,"** he whispered it in a low hiss, face not a few inches from the younger wizards, knowing he would be understood, **"but you are different from the last time we met. I called you here to call you to my side, for surly you know that you cannot go back to the Light after what you have done."**

Harry decided that he would gift the other Perstaletongue with the sound of his hisses, a gift given to him the first time Tom tried to kill him, **"You speak, as if I ever wanted to be there. Dumbledore thinks he can rule my life and use me for the **_**greater good**_**, but I am no longer a pawn, I am a player."**

Tom's look of shock lasted only a second, but it is priceless. Harry remembers that this is the first time he has spoken the snakes' tongue in front of the Dark Lord. His chin is released and the older wizard takes a step back, **"Again, you impress me Harry. Your words are not hesitant; you have been practicing our tongue."**

'It helps,' Harry muttered to himself, 'When one has been trapped in the body of a snake for the last week and a half.'

He did not say that out loud of course, and chose to ignore the topic completely, **"What if I want time, for this decision?"**

A feral smirk, as the other started to back away, **"Then the next time we meet, in person, you will have to choose the Dark, or die. By our hand or the Light's, because you are being forced to pick a side Harry."**

Harry noted that Tom had started to use his given name, and not his surname, he decided not to comment on that, and lifted his chin a little bit. He is not at all frightened by the threat left to hang in the air like a cloud of poisonous gas, he has already chosen his side, but knows Tom would get suspicious if the decision is made so quickly.

The world started to fade, the fuzzy edges of the objects around them blurring even more into white expanse. One or both of them are waking, and the dream fades. Neither says anything as they are the last thing to disappear.

~!~

Harry woke with a start, eyes snapping open as his and Nagini's pillow moved from under them. This pillow happens to be Tom.

The entwined snakes jerk in shock, and without meaning to, suddenly tumble to the ground over the side of the bed, where they lay in a daze until red eyes peer at them from over the side of the bed, **"Nagini? Drake?"**

Nagini is the first one to exit her daze and a worried look enters her eyes, **"What happened? He was there was not he?"**

Harry looked at her in shock; she knew that Tom is going to pull him into a dream? Did he miss something when he dazed out during that meeting? Tom's voice broke through his daze, **"Yes, he is there, this means he is at least alive. And he is doing a very good job at acting cocky. He has acting skills are on par with any Slytheirn's, our Potter."**

'Well damn', Harry mutters mentally, 'damn, experienced, older Slytherin. Of course you would notice.'

"**Did you ask him?"**

Tom reached down and Nagini took the offer for help back onto the bed, Harry soon followed her, **"Yes, and he claims self defense."**

Harry watched the interaction in confusion, looking between red and golden eyes as he settles back into Nagini's embrace. Nagini did not care, or she did not notice as she continues to talk, **"Do you believe him?"**

The Dark Lord rests his head on his hand and sighs, **"I do. Our Potter has become very dark; he even spoke our tongue like he has spoken it all his life, not at all hesitant like a beginner would be, and he spoke it with confidence."**

Nagini cocked her head a little and tasted the air before speaking again, **"Will he join us?"**

That is when Tom finally let's himself falls back onto his pillow. It is a long moment before he talks and Harry waits with baited breath, **"He wants to think about it, like we thought he would. But that is not what makes me think."**

Nagini slithers a little to rest her head on her master's chest, dislodging Harry a little, **"And what has you so shocked Tom?"**

What is said next, startles Harry, because he did not think about it before; **"He did not show any pain, pain he should have been feeling from his scar, dream or no dream."**

Why did not he notice _that_ before?

TBC

A/n: How is that?

Death Eater Mask Rankings:

Red- Voldemort's Second Hand Man/Lover, soon to be Harry. He needs a rank all his own.

Silver- Inner Circle

White- Like a General I suppose, under the Inner Circle, but above the Grunts, ten to a Silver Mask.

Gray- Grunts, Newbies…they go by many names… a group of ten or fifteen is led by a White Mask.

A special thanks to _tonks*is*cool_ for her/his wonderful and idea giving review, it made me all warm inside^^

Edited: 3/5/11

Thank you for reading this,

~FT


	7. The Oath

**Title:** Life as a Snake

**Author:** FairyTails13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…but the plot.

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** What do you do when the only person you know can understand you is your most hated enemy? And I don't mean this figuratively people. Harry, after making some weird witch mad, has found himself seeing from a different angle, with no arms and with scales.

He is a snake, very literally.

How the hell is he supposed to defeat Voldemort now! Or does he want to after meeting Nagini from a different perspective.

**Warnings:** SLASH(Male/Male parings) Dark Harry, Snake Harry

**Parings:** Lord Voldemort/Harry, Severus/Remus, Draco/Hermione

**Spoilers:** Books one – five, I will not include book six, and though I am finally getting around to reading seven, I will not include it either. Dumbledore is alive. Also, please refer to the HP Warning on my profile, please.

**Key: **

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Parseltongue "**

"_Mind link between Voldemort and Harry"_

**A/n:** This story has been edited, fixing certain elements that have been annoying me, and finally updated. I never thought this story would get so reviews, alerts or faves. Every one you guys sent me helped me along just a little bit. I have to tell you though, the main reason I have not updated to long is because my external HDD took a tumble it did not recover from.

It had all of my art work, countless pictures, and every single fan fic I had been working on. I lost everything but what I have already posted. So work with me here, please, it was a great blow.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it has been in long coming.

**Chapter:** The Oath

The day after his and the Dark Lord's dreamland meeting, Harry learned more about Potions than he had in the past six years at Hogwarts from his place dapped over Tom's shoulders. It was like watching a skilled artist bring a canvas to life with only a paintbrush, the way the older wizard brewed his potion. His body flowed with every movement to prepare and add an ingredient.

Harry had been so mesmerized by the Dark Lord's method that he had been unable to stop his tongue from asking questions. Truly he had not expected an answer, but answer the Dark Lord did, explaining the potion and all that went into it in detail he is sure no book would ever touch on.

If Snape had even bothered to teach half of the things Tom had, Harry would have fallen in love with brewing in his first year, and never looked back.

But, being so breathe-taken with the art of potion brewing could not distract him _that_ much from his worry of being discovered. For the very potions the older wizard started brewing under his star-struck gaze is the sure-fire way to find the missing Boy-Who-Lived that the Dark Order came up with.

And all they need is a few drops of blood.

The potion in question had originally been commissioned by a Potions Master to help a worried mother to find her missing child, and so is intended to find close relatives when one does not necessarily have a blood sample from the missing relative to direct the potion's magic.

So unlike the potion Snape is brewing on the other side of the lab, the one the Dark Lord is hovering over does not need his blood, the blood of the intended 'target' of the potion, just the blood of a close relative.

At first, Harry had been confused, not sure how the Potion would work because last time he checked, the Dursleys had flown the coop and he has no other blood relatives. But, any hope he had of not being found went down the drain the second he was reminded by the Dark Lord of the very ritual that gave Tom back his body, that night at the graveyard two and a half years ago.

Harry's very blood was used to give the Dark Lord his current body, and it still runs through Voldemort's veins.

In terms of blood relations, one does not get much closer than **that**.

The Boy-Who-Lived's only comfort is that the potion takes a month to brew because of its complexity and the power of magic needed to back it up.

It crosses his mind that he will be legally an adult in the Wizarding world by the time the potion is completed, but it is a fleeting thought, because in his current position the Boy-Who-Lived very much doubts it will matter.

He has hopes that once he is found out that there will be enough between him and the Dark Lord ; enough to know that he will at least be given a chance to explain himself before he is killed, but those too are a fleeting thought.

_~!~_

Harry watches from Tom's shoulders, head resting on his own coiled body, as the older wizard sprinkles in one more ingredient, a powdered root of a tree he has never heard of before, changing the color from an ugly grey to a crystal clear teal.

In all his self studies, never had he touched on potions, feeling too incompetent in the subject to learn anything he could not learn in class. But watching Tom, he could not help but want to try out a potion or two with his new understandings.

"**Now we wait a day,"** Tom's use of 'we' does something to Harry he does _not_ wish to dwell on, **"The potion has to simmer at room temperature for no more or less than twenty-four hours."**

The green boa bobs his head in understanding, watching as the older wizard puts out the fire under the cauldron and keep an eye on the thick liquid till it stops boiling. As soon as it is cooled to a simmer, the Dark Lord flicks his yew wand, wordlessly setting a timer before starting to clean up the tidy mess that covers the bench he is working at.

As ingredients are packed away, Harry buzzes on with his questions, using the distraction to not freak out about the fact that he only has a month to live.

"**So,"** he hisses, **"The longer a potion brews the more the magic builds up?"**

"**Yes,"** the Dark Lord answered, carrying the ingredients back to the cabinet where they were held because simply magicing them to their place might ruin the magical properties, **"Think of the ingredients as the instructions to a means, each one does something different, and different combinations can do even more; depending on what is needed of the potion, it needs to gather the magic in the air, because the directions cannot be met without the right amount of Magic behind it to power it."**

Harry frowns, thinking, **"But in the time is so specific, twenty-four hours, no more, no less, than wouldn't the amount of magic in the air effect it? Like a Magical building over a Muggle building that has never had a magical occupant and vice-versa?"**

"**This is an excellent point Drake,"** Harry pushes down a stupid grin at the compliment, **"What students of the art are not aware of until they choose to take the path of a Master, is that the Magic in a Potion Lab is critically controlled to a worldwide regulation. This allows for the perfect environment for brewing no matter the location. This is why brewing out of a Lab is frowned upon, not just because they would be doing so without adult supervision."**

"**What kinds of consequences are there if the magic level is not controlled, like the potion is brewed out of a lab?"** As the question slips over his forked tongue, Harry cannot help but think back to his second year. Where they just lucky?

"**There have been studies,"** the Dark Lord starts, placing the last jar on a shelf before going back to the bench to tidy up his tools, **"But potions are tricky, sometimes it does not matter, and other times the brewer is lucky if the potion does not blow up in their face. Everything is so precise; it takes Masters **_**years**_** into their training before their master will even allow them to experiment."**

Harry winces, not wanting to think about what could have happened if anything went wrong while his bushy-haired friend had been brewing the Polyjoice Potion. Good thing not that many people use magic in a bathroom many avoid.

He is jostled out of the somewhat terrifying thoughts when a hand rubs the coil that drapes down the front of his perch's robes, **"You are so full of questions, Drake. If you were human I am sure you would excel at this."**

Harry takes a hidden peak across the room, taking in the completely relaxed look on the usually emotionless Potion Master's face, **"It just fascinates me,"** he mutters, pushing his head against the palm of the Dark Lord's hand when those magical fingers (no pun intended) rub just the right spot, **"You wizards are capable of such amazing things."**

"**That we are," **the Dark Lord hums, **"Of the good and bad verity."**

_~!~_

When they had left the headquarters, the two talented bookworms did not leave even a drop of evidence that they had snuck out or of what their intentions were.

Hermione had silently packed up her things, everything she could possibly need for the task she and her old Professor has set up for them. She did not bother with extra weight, and against her wishes, she left most of her books behind, only packing away the few she treasured most and then the two or three Harry had recommended she read over the summer.

They are hardly illegal, but dark enough that if left behind will arouse more suspicions than needed.

They are already flying the coop, why leave behind something that would incriminate them even more?

When she was finished packing, she made her way to the hallway, and as the young witch made it, she turned slowly and flicked her wand towards her lone roommate. Hermione held her breath, waiting for any sign that the removal of the silencing ward might wake the other witch up.

When nothing happened, she, with the aid of spells Remus had just taught her, silently tiptoed out the dark room and slowly shut the door.

If she had not of known that the werewolf was going to meet her there, she would have screamed when he placed a hand on her shoulder; she was so jumpy.

Wordlessly they met each other's eyes, his golden hair helping her calm down greatly. Nodding that she was ready, they slipped through the nearly silent house, using the snoring of certain occupants to cover any sound they might make.

Knowing that going through the front or back doors would be far too obvious, they slipped into one of the ground floor bathrooms and slid a window open.

Within five minutes they were out, not leaving a trace of having left.

Hurriedly stalking away from the house and away from any world that would detect any further magic, Remus hugged his ex-student to his form, and apparated away from the place that had been his best friend's own personal hell.

_~!~_

Over the week since his near death experience, Harry has found himself draped around the Dark Lord's shoulder more often than not. Nagini had gone as far as to joke about him being a 'Boa'.

Glaring at her only made her laugh harder.

It is from his favorite perch, using the hood of Tom's battle robes as a small cave to hide under, that he watches the first Death Eater meeting that he has ever actually been invited to. His coppery eyes gaze from the shadows of the dark clothe, eyeing the masked individuals as they come into the gathering room, kneeling before the large discus that the Dark Lord stands on with Nagini at his feet.

After bowing before their Lord, who is once again wearing the illusion of the snake-like _thing_, the grey Masked Death Eaters scurry (for there is no other work to describe their jerky movements) towards that back of the room, standing behind rows of white masked wizards and witches.

Up closest to Tom are those with silver masks, the Inner Circle. They are the only ones that do not have their hoods up, the one that stand the proudest.

There is so much Dark Magic in the air because of the gathered Dark Wizards and witches that Harry cannot help but feel a little buzzed. It does not help that Tom's magic is pulsing in the air around them, made active by the pent up anger brought on by the break in and his near death.

Harry knows what this meeting is going to be about, and he is curious to see if he is going to get a glimpse of the Dark Lord the world knows. For some reason this excites him instead of scaring him like it should.

The topic of the meeting is to fortify the loyalty of the Death Eaters with a new Oath; one that Tom has made sure there are no loop holes in. He does not want another Peter incident and any Death Eater who will not submit to the new Oath, Harry knows, will not leave this room tonight.

When all the Death Eaters are in place, and Tom is satisfied that everyone that needs to be there is, he sweeps his magic over the room, calling attention without having to speak a word, so when he does it is low and dangerous in tone.

"All of you ssshould know by now, but not long ago thisss Manor wasss broken into with help from sssomeone on the inssside," the room shivers at his voice and the slight hiss that slips in for added effect.

"We are here tonight to ssstop that from ever happening again, for betrayal isss unforgivable and death isss too good for Wormtail and anyone elssse that even thinksss about being traitorousss." Tom steps forward, sweeping his arm in an arch motion, getting the inner circle to step forward to be the first to set an example.

"Tonight, you will renew your Oathsss, or you will not leave thessse groundsss alive."

The treat that hung in the air would have raised Harry's hair is he had any, as it is it made him seek comfort from the warmth of the body below him and the magic that curls around his serpentine form.

This is the Dark Lord he remembers from his nightmares, the pure fury and hate that weaves around him and in his hissing voice. This is not that man he is coming to trust, this is the man that the wizarding world fears, that they once expected him to save them from.

While reminded of why he fears this man, confusing excitement builds up within when the first Death Eater steps forward, removing their mask to reveal Lucius Malfoy, and dark magic becomes so thick in the air that it is almost impossible to breathe.

"Luciusss."

At his name that proud pureblood kneels on a knee, bowing his head with his arms spread out to reveal weaponless hands.

"Ssstand and give me your Oath."

Suddenly the static magic that had been building up is suddenly moving, flowing around the blonde before them, lifting his cloak and long hair in an eerie way as he stands before his lord and makes eyes contact, making red and silver clash.

Having briefly touched on Oaths in the dark arts, Harry knows that as soon as the Malfoy Lord speaks, his magic will be bound to his word, and if he should ever break that word, he will lose his magic, and eventually die a slow and painful death because of it.

"_On my life and magic I swear that  
I Lucius Malfoy, am here before you by my own free will.  
I accept __Lord Voldemort__ as the Dark Lord, the protector of our Goals.  
I pledge my loyalty to you, Lord Voldemort, leader of the __Dark Order__.  
I want to be a member of the Dark Order, of the __Death Eaters__.  
I will keep the secrets of the Dark Order from our enemies and fight for the victory over those that oppose our goals until my death.  
So mote it be."_

The magic Harry could only feel before became very visible, swirling around Malfoy in shades of purple and dark green.

Tom placed the tip of his wand upon Malfoy's crown and the magic gained order, "Ssso mote it be."

The magic pulses and that which is visible sinks into the Death Eater's form, making him glow green and purple for a split second before it fades. When all is done Lucius stands and steps back into line. As his wife steps forward to go next Harry lets his eyes sweep over those gathered.

Not a single one of the light colored masks are looking away from their Lord and the young wizard can almost feel their loyalty to the man in their stances and in the magic filling the air.

He starts to think to himself, the words of the Oath being repeated over and over again with every Death Eater that steps forward, the words slowly being etched into his brain. His inner Slytherin plots.

He is already too far into the Dark Order to let himself be killed off by his own fear of telling the truth.

~!~

The shiver that ran down Remus' back was not at all because of the sudden drop in temperature as he appeared in the middle of a snowy field; his weathered cloak is after all covered in enough warming charms to stop him from feeling the bitter cold of the high speed winds kicking up the snow around him.

But he likes to tell himself it is. Gryffindor or not, there is always some fear in him when he willingly travels to the stomping grounds of his sire and alpha when he has been trying so hard to not get involved with the person the ruined his life.

It is only because of his missing pup, and the terrified Hermione hidden away in one of the cottages he owns because of Sirius and James, one that not even Dumbledore is aware of, that he is even stepping foot on these grounds.

Securing his hood, the tawny haired wizard starts to walk against the wind, knowing by heart the instructions to his destination that were given to him all those years ago when he made well known the fact that he refused to accept the creature he has become.

Moony would not let him forget the disappointment and sadness in his alpha's blue eyes when he turned his back on the older wizard.

Invariantly, no amount of Fire Whiskey could wipe the contents of the letter from his memory.

That is why he knew where to Apparate to, and which way to walk from there.

And knew to expect that when he had not gone a mile through the magically blown winds that he would be surrounded by five growling werewolves with wands pointed directly at him. A human would not have noticed their appearance, but for him the wind could not hide the threatening growls.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face the hidden wizard to his right, knowing because of Moony growling deeply in his mind that is the 'alpha' of this formation. In the same step he looks through the snowy winds to connected gazes with the gold flinted green eyes of the other werewolf, letting him know without a doubt that he knows they are there.

The green eyes narrow at him but the growls lower as he stalks towards the newcomer with liquid grace even in the two feet of snow. Feet away he stops, and Remus can take in the barest of detail about the other as he snarls at him with bared teeth, issuing more of a challenge than any kind of threat, "Who are you?"

Standing with a confidence he does not fully have, the Marauder pulls down his hood and notes the recognition in the eyes of the other werewolf. The growling stops completely.

"You already know who I am."

Remus can feel the eyes on him, judging him, and knows that they are rightful to feel distrust in him. He turned his back on this pack many times. But despite how much he despises being a werewolf most of the time he knows the rules of the pack very well.

Even though he never accepted his place in his sire's pack, he knows it is still there.

Remus spent much time with other wolf packs under Dumbledore's orders and he hates to admit it, but each time he got special treatment, first pick in a meal right after the inner circle of the pack.

Because in the circles of Werewolves, the Pack his sire is the alpha of is number one in the pecking order. His sire might as well be royalty.

And no matter what the Wizarding world thinks, Remus Lupin is the lone sired pup of one Fenrir Greyback.

That is why the five guard wolves can do nothing but comply with what he says next, no matter the distrust they have in him.

"I wish an audience with my sire."

~!~

Long legs stride down the narrow corridors of the housing units of himself and his co-workers, each step taken with sureness, but with a nervousness, he is sure he only felt twice before in his life. Once when he got married to a fiery red-head, and second when said red head threatened to castrate him at the birth of their son.

His heart aches at the thought, but that is why he is walking the way he is, to find out the truth that has been kept secret from, just as he has been kept secret from the world.

He now knows that everything he has been told all these years is a lie; because there is simply no way he can forget that he bloody _**died**_.

In remembering it had been like a dream, and the subject of many nightmares. But once he realized it was more than a dream, but a shredded memory piecing its self back together he did everything in his power to piece together his last moments.

Because all these years, believing that he is the only survivor of the Dark Lord's attack on his family, he knows now that he was the first to fall when the powerful wizard took his firsts steps into their home.

After hiding away from the world for so long, because he was told it was for his own safety that the Dark Lord not knows he survived, or how he did, Unspeakable James Potters wants answers.

And they better be bloody good ones or there will be a price to pay.

Nobody messes with his family.

TBC

A/n: I am not entirely sure about this chapter. It has been so long I am hoping it does not interrupt the flow of the fic, and that it does not disappoint any of you.

Next chapter I promise that the secret will be revealed, even if I have to make the chapter really long and ignore all the other side plots that need to be written…If I have my way it will solely focus on the bond between Harry and Tom..

Well, any way, tell me what you think, how did I do, what do I need to work on besides grammar and such?

~FT


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